


Battle Hymn of Bonds

by shiny_glor_chan



Series: Battle Hymn of Bonds [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexuality, Bisexuality, Ensemble Cast, F/F, Fix-It, Gen, M/M, Misunderstandings, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-01-13 13:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 40,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18470047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_glor_chan/pseuds/shiny_glor_chan
Summary: Most everyone in the world has two soulmarks: one platonic and one romantic. The members of S.E.E.S. are no different....for the most part. But fighting shadows by moonlight and winning love by daylight isn't all it's cracked up to be.CHAPTER XVII: It's the August Full Moon, and Chidori does some recon with Medea.(slow burnAkiShinji&YukaMitsu)





	1. Prologue: The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akihiko and Shinjiro have been linked all their lives, and when Mitsuru asks to meet Akihiko at midnight, Shinjiro won't let him go alone.

Shinjiro's known one of his two soulmates for most of his life. The matrons at the orphanage call him and Akihiko the lucky ones. Akihiko grins when he shows new people the myriad of stars dotting his left arm. The constellation of stars match the ones of Shinjiro's right.

It takes a little more research for his second one. Shinjiro doesn't know much, but it's clearly a card with a strange arrow shape the middle with a few other designs around it. At the end of middle school, Akihiko holds up a pack of tarot cards, grinning.

“Hierophant card,” Akihiko says, pulling out a card similar to Shinjiro's soulmark. “Maybe your other soulmate reads tarot?”

“Maybe,” he agrees, brows furrowing. “Where did you get those?”

“Kirijo gave them to me when I asked her if she knew any weird types of cards,” Akihiko replies then snaps his fingers. “Oh yeah, I told you about her, right? That weird girl after my last bout.”

Shinjiro snorts. “Aki, you're the only one in this school who doesn't know Kirijo Mitsuru on sight,” he states then shakes his head before lowering his voice. “The one that mentioned the weird things that happen at midnight...”

Akihiko nods, face serious. “Yeah, that. I'm going to meet her tonight. Come with me?”

“She did ask for you, specifically,” Shinjiro points out.

“But it sounds like there's something to this midnight thing, and it's like we thought,” Akihiko counters, rolling his shoulders. “You telling me you're not up for a fight, Shinji?”

Shinjiro runs a hand over his face. “Someone has to watch your ass, so you don't get yourself owned. Kirijo doesn't know how reckless you can be,” he says with a sigh. “Aki, don't be a dumbass because whatever this is doesn't have the constraints a boxing match does.”

“You worry too much, Shinji!” 

“Yeah, because my best friend is a dumbass,” he replies, shoving said best friend a bit. “C'mon, lunch period's almost over, and I'm getting real food. Eat more than some protein bars, Aki.”

Akihiko shoves Shinjiro back with a laugh as they head to grab some food from the school store.

* * *

Shinjiro doesn't know what to make of Mitsuru, and when he crashes her midnight rendezvous with Akihiko, it looks like she doesn't know what to make of him either. “I hadn't expected you to bring a friend, Sanada-kun,” Mitsuru states, eyeing Shinjiro with suspicion.

Akihiko makes a face at the honorific. “I brought Shinji because he and I have both been experiencing this weird midnight thing. He's not bad in a fight either,” he explains.

“Not bad in a fight either,” Shinjiro repeats mockingly, cuffing Akihiko in the back of the head. “I'm the only reason this meathead hasn't gotten too deep in a fight he can't win. So if you want him, we're a packaged deal, Kirijo.”

Mitsuru looks between the boys in front of her, and after a moment, she smiles. “So you're soulmates,” she deduces, shocking them both. “I won't interfere with that kind of bond. However, this means we're a bit under prepared for tonight's excursion. I only had evokers ready for Sanada-kun and myself.”

“Evokers?” Shinjiro questions and tenses when Mitsuru pulls out the the gun shaped item. “What the hell!?”

“Calm down, it's just shaped like a gun,” she explains, but Shinjiro watches her movements carefully as Akihiko just watches on curiously. 

“You pulled that out when we met too,” Akihiko says as she hands him her second evoker.

“When Aki said you pulled a gun on him, I just thought that was the bullshit part of the story,” Shinjiro admits. “So how does it work if it's not a real gun?”

Mitsuru takes a deep breath in then out. “It would be easier to show you, since midnight has passed into the Dark Hour.”

Before Shinjiro or Akihiko can ask what she means, Mitsuru raises the evoker to her temple. She presses the trigger as the boys watch in shock. Something appears behind her, elegant and metallic, and both boys fall into a fighting stance. Mitsuru smirks as she holsters her evoker.

“Penthesilea,” she murmurs, “please show our guests your skills.”

The elegant construct moves with as much grace as the girl she emerged from, and there's an arc of ice forming in the air. Before the chunks of ice the can crash to the ground, Penthesilea slashes at it with her thin sword, shattering the ice into small crystals. She falls back with a flourish, waiting behind Mitsuru. 

“Holy shit,” Shinjiro curses in awe as Akihiko just stares. “What the hell is that?”

Akihiko looks down at the evoker in his hands. “A persona,” Mitsuru replies. “It's a manifestation of our true selves. They're needed to fight the enemies that lurk in the Dark Hour.”

Before Shinjiro can question her further, Penthesilea makes a distressed sound. Mitsuru pulls out an epee sword, readying herself as shadows pool together into a creature with a strange mask adorned with a roman numeral. 

“Penthesilea, bufu!” Mitsuru shouts as her persona encases the enemy in ice.

The ice breaks in a spray of shards, and the shadow screams as it writhes. It recovers quicker than Mitsuru expects from the way she falls back, and Shinjiro catches the moment Akihiko decides on joining the fray. He brings the evoker to his forehead with eyes closed tightly shut when he pulls the trigger.

Akihiko eyes open as he his persona emerges. “Polydeuces,” he says as he falls into a fighting stance. “We won't pull any punches!”

Polydeuces rushes forward, lightning crackling from his arm before it strikes the shadow and stopping it in its tracks. Akihiko follows up, landing a hard punch to the shadows mask. It cracks, but the electric shock that paralyzed the shadow transfers to Akihiko, knocking him back. His evoker clatters to the ground.

“Aki!” Shinjiro shouts as the shadow begins to move again.

Grabbing the evoker, Shinjiro doesn't hesitate to bring it to his temple and pull the trigger. He knows Akihiko's in trouble, and Kirijo's ice attacks are ineffective, so any hesitation he would have had putting a gun to his dissipates. His persona emerges with a war cry, and Shinjiro calls out it's a name, the only prompting the persona needs to charge the shadow.

The shadow's mask had already cracked from Akihiko's punch, and Castor charges forward to deliver a finishing blow. When its mask completely cracks in half, the shadow screams weakly before fading away to nothing.

Shinjiro drops the evoker as he falls to his knees, and Castor flickers out of physical existence. “Amazing,” Mitsuru says after a few moments of quiet as she murmurs something Shinjiro doesn't catch to her persona, and a green light shines over Akihiko. “That went better than I would have expected.”

Shinjiro grunts as he pants. “Aki?”

Akihiko groans as he turns towards Shinjiro's voice as Polydeuces fades away. “That...” he begins then splays out fully on his back, star fished on the ground, “...was definitely not my best fight. Thanks, Shinji.”

“Charging ahead without thinking, you moron,” Shinjiro chides as he glances over to Kirijo, her persona disappearing. “Why aren't you as wiped, Kirijo?”

“This isn't the first time I've summoned my persona,” she explains, offering a hand Shinjiro. “The first time is always quite draining. I didn't quite plan for such a display, but it was unfortunate that the shadow that we fought was not overly affected by my ice skills.”

Shinjiro takes her hand, stumbling a bit on his feet but not enough to fall again. “Shit luck right there,” he agrees as he makes his way over to help Akihiko to his feet. “This moron never introduced us properly. Aragaki Shinjiro.”

Akihiko takes Shinjiro's hand with a grunt. “And as you know, I am Kirijo Mitsuru,” Mitsuru replies, looking them both over. “We're not far from the dorms I stay in. We can head there since I believe it would be foolish to continue tonight.”

“I can still fight,” Akihiko protests before Shinjiro smacks the back of his head. “Ow, okay, maybe tomorrow.”

“Try again,” Shinjiro states as they follow Mitsuru to the dorms. “I think we need to learn a bit more about shadows and shit. Kirijo, what's with this magic elemental shit?”

As they walk back to the dorms, Mitsuru gives them a starter course on elemental magic, healing magic, and other magic that they're sure to run into during the Dark Hour in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have about 12k words of this fic finished. I'm self-beta'ing at the moment, so expect updates about once a week or so.
> 
> I hope my soulmate AU idea is understandable. It'll get explained more as the story moves on. I'll be following canon, for the most part. The everyone lives tag is there for a reason. <3 I'll add other relationship and friendship tags as chapter are added.


	2. Chapter I: Team Building

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's mid-May, and the second years are curious about their senpai's soulmark. Yukari and Junpei don't get answers they thought they would. Minato asks the right questions instead.

“Akihiko-senpai, I've been wondering this for a while now,” Yukari begins after they clear a floor of Tartarus and look for the stairs. “Everyone's seen your soulmark from your boxing matches, and well, it's clearly the S.E.E.S. armband we all wear. Does that mean Mitsuru-senpai is your romantic soulmate?”

Akihiko pauses at the question, and so does Junpei who trips over his own feet trying not to crash into his senpai's back. Minato stops with a sigh when he finds his party lagging behind. When he jogs back to them, Akihiko breaks out into a laughing fit. Yukari scowls, hands on her hips.

“It's a valid question! You guys are the founding members of S.E.E.S.!” she exclaims defensively.

“Sorry, Takeba,” Akihiko apologizes as he composes himself. “I've known my romantic soulmate since I was a kid. Mitsuru's my platonic soulmate.”

“Stepped in it that time, Yuka-tan,” Junpei pipes up with a low whistle.

Yukari's face flushes in embarrassment. “Oh god, I'm so sorry for assuming like that.”

Akihiko waves her off. “It's fine,” he replies, rubbing the back of his neck. “To be honest, I've been asked that a lot ever since that soulmark filled out. It was so dull before that it was hardly legible or even close to a red band. We only found out later what it was, after the armbands were made.”

“We should head to the next floor,” Minato interrupts up, pointing ahead. “The stairs should be this way.”

Chains ring out, echoing across the walls. Minato immediately breaks out into a run, his teammates sprinting after him without hesitation, and soon, the stairs to the next floor come into view.

* * *

A few floors later after they take out a boss, the group takes a rest on the cleared out safe space. “So, since Yuka-tan already stepped it in earlier...” Junpei begins with a grin on his face, earning a scowl from Yukari.

“Shut up, Stupei! Don't bring it up again!” she shouts, face creeping high on her cheeks in embarrassment.

“Soooo,” he continues without a care for the retribution he'll get from Yukari later, “shouldn't we all share our soulmarks? We're teammates and all. We've got each others' backs.”

Yukari stomps her foot onto Junpei's, only catching his toes as he stumbles back to get away from her. “You're just as curious and nosy as I was!” she exclaims before covering her mouth and ducking her head.

Akihiko chuckles as he rolls up the sleeve of his left shirtsleeve. “Well, you guys know Mitsuru's soulmark, but my romantic soulmark is harder to see in matches,” he explains as he shows off the constellation of stars dotting down his arm.

Yukari and Junpei both lean in at once while Minato glances from the side. “The Gemini constellation?” he questions as Yukari shoves at Junpei who shoves right back.

“Yeah, I think it has to do with our personas,” Akihiko explains as he sidesteps the quarrel between Yukari and Junpei. “Polydeuces is one of the twins, and Castor is the other. Those are our personas.”

Minato looks pensive. “Strange to have lovers depicted as brothers on a romantic soulmark.”

Akihiko snorts. “Yeah, we're definitely blood brothers before all else. He hasn't exactly done anything about it. Things are...tense right now.”

“Because of the shadows?” Minato questions then watches Akihiko hesitate to answer.

Junpei jumps up from his struggle with Yukari. “Wait! Like brothers? Does that make your romantic soulmate a dude, Akihiko-senpai?”

Silence falls for half a moment before Yukari stomps on his foot properly this time. “And you said I stepped in it last time, Stupei,” she says forcefully under her breath while Junpei grips his injured foot and tumbles to the ground.

“Well, yeah,” Akihiko replies, rubbing the back of his neck before steeling himself. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Not at all,” Yukari replies swiftly, giving Junpei quite a glare in case he says otherwise.

Junpei raises his hands in defense as he gets up. “Hey, I don't got anything against that,” he agrees. “Can't help who you love, right? Yuka-tan's mark is pretty girlie-”

Yukari makes a choke sound as she smacks Junpei upside the head. “Shut up! You said you'd forget you saw that!”

“Ow, you're really violent today!”

“And you're really stupid today!” Yukari retorts, face flushed red.

“Now, I'm really curious,” Minato announces, tilting his head in Yukari's direction. 

Yukari sighs as she unzips her cardigan, unties her ribbon to unbutton two buttons of her shirt, and moves it aside a bit to reveal a heart shaped mark emblazoned with an elegant crown. There are wings curving around it as well as chains that seem familiar, the mark resting right over her heart.

“Aren’t those chains a lot like Io's?” Minato asks as he examines the mark.

“Huh, I never thought of it like that,” Yukari says as she notices Akihiko staring too intently. “Senpai...?”

Akihiko clears his throat. “Have you found your match? It's not completely colorless.”

Yukari shakes her head as she buttons her shirt back up and reties her ribbon. “No, it happened on my first day of Gekkoukan, so it really could have been anyone. It's so frustrating, but maybe I'm not ready. This one must be my romantic, and I haven't even found my platonic yet!”

“A classmate then,” Minato points out with a head tilt. “One of mine did as well...”

Minato untucks his shirt then rucks it up to show the mark of a Magician tarot card just above his hip. “Whoa, dude!” Junpei exclaims as he pulls up to show the matching mark on his side. “We match!”

Yukari looks between the two boys then sighs. “Oh no, Stupei's going to be insufferable about this...”

Akihiko chuckles, clapping his hand on Yukari's shoulder. “Hey, maybe you'll have that kind of luck someday,” he says, hiding the fact he recognized her mark on sight.

“You say that because you've known both your soulmates before high school,” Yukari bites out then looks away. “Sorry, I didn't mean to snap, senpai, but...”

“Sorry, Takeba,” Akihiko apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck.

Yukari smiles, and it's not as forced as either of them thought it would be. “Well, I think we've had our fair share of awkward conversations today,” she replies before straightening up. “I think we've climbed as much of Tartarus as we're going to tonight, don't you think, leader?”

Minato pulls his attention away from Junpei and nods. “Let's head back.”

* * *

The knock on his door catches Akihiko's attention as he ends his workout. “Akihiko-senpai?” Minato's voice calls out.

Akihiko wipes his face, drapes the towel over his shoulders, and heads to answer the door. “Arisato, what do you need?”

Minato steps inside, and Akihiko closes the door behind him. “I had some questions, but they seemed a bit invasive to ask while inside Tartarus with the others...”

“Go for it as long as you don't mind if I cool down while you talk,” Akihiko offers and starts his stretches when Minato nods his assent. “What's on your mind?”

“You mentioned your romantic soulmate has a persona...” Minato begins then pauses for a moment, collecting his words. “I suppose my question is why isn't he part of S.E.E.S.? We could use another teammate with how taxing Tartarus can be.”

Akihiko freezes mid-stretch before sighing. “He was a member of S.E.E.S. when we first started high school,” he explains as stretches his arms above his head. “When Mitsuru made me the offer, I told him about it, and we both joined together since he doesn't trust me not to get myself into trouble.”

A small smile forms on Minato's lips. “Sounds smart,” he agrees, almost teasing. “First time I met you, you'd already gotten injured by a shadow, senpai.”

“You two would get along too well,” Akihiko points out then shakes his head. “He gave me hell for that injury, even though he wasn't even here for it.”

“Then he was the person who visited you at the hospital?”

Akihiko nods with a snort. “Yeah, Aragaki Shinjiro. He's a worrier, but he'll never admit to it.”

Minato frowns. “Then why isn't he here, watching your back?”

“That's...” Akihiko stalls as he rummages around for a t-shirt then pulls it on. “Over a year and a half year ago, there was a shadow that escaped into the city that we were pursuing. We were so focused on the shadow, that we didn't notice we'd followed it into the residential district... After that, Shinji lost control of his persona while we were in pursuit, and there was a casualty. He left the dorm a few days later.”

Silence falls over the room as Minato processes the information. “That explains a lot,” he finally says, brushing his bangs to the side. “I won't bring it up in front of the others, since it's unlikely he'll rejoin S.E.E.S.”

“Heh,” Akihiko huffs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Every once in a while, I corner him and try to talk him into coming back.”

“You don't think protecting his romantic soulmate would get him to return?” Minato questions, and Akihiko snorts in response.

“He knows I can take care of myself,” he replies confidently.

Minato smirks a bit. “Or maybe he trusts Mitsuru-senpai to keep you in line?”

Akihiko grins. “That's probably it,” he agrees then sighs. “I'll let you know if I ever get him to come back.”

Nodding, Minato motions to the door with his head. “Yeah, but I should get going. I need to get in some studying tonight. Mid-terms are coming up...”

“You're on top of all of this,” Akihiko states, sounding impressed. “Guess I better not let my underclassman show me up.”

“I told Mitsuru-senpai I'd be top of my class by the end of the year,” Minato says as heads for the door. “That'd be hard to beat with her actually in your grade, wouldn't it?”

“Start boasting after you manage it, Arisato,” he replies as Minato leaves, and Akihiko glances back at the school books strewn on his desk then resigns himself to spending the rest of his night studying as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to have better chapter titles, but I've got nothing, for now. From here out, there's going to be most of the S.E.E.S. members involved. I have a lot of everyone in S.E.E.S.'s romantic and platonic soulmates, so they'll be revealed as the story progresses. If you gotten to this end note, thank you for reading my fic!


	3. Chapter II: A Change in Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The S.E.E.S. second years go to a back alley and get in some trouble. Then get saved from trouble, and their savior is thrown for a loop.

“I get it, Aki... Still trying to make up for the past. It's you who can't let go...”

Minato would've found his words strange, but he knows who Aragaki Shinjiro is to Sanada Akihiko. His teammates looks confused as Shinjiro asks if he can leave now that he's given them the information about Fuuka. For a moment, Minato decides not to say anything as Yukari and Junpei thank him.

“C'mon, show some appreciation,” Junpei cajoles as he elbows Minato, who bows his head.

Deep in thought on what to do, Minato zones out for a moment until he hears Yukari. “...You're very kind.”

Shinjiro doesn't seem to agree, and Yukari backtracks as Minato makes up his mind. “Tch... Don't come back here.”

“Then come with us,” Minato says in a moment of impulsive behavior that gains incredulously looks from the whole group. “You were saying Akihiko-senpai can't let go, but you were the one to ask if he sent us.”

Yukari tries to quiet a gasp as Junpei looks between the two them with a distressed expression. “Dude, we should just go.”

“Listen to your friend, kid. It's none of your business,” Shinjiro says, looming in a way to scare him.

Minato feels more resolved in his decision and hopes Akihiko doesn't mind him butting in with the information he was told. “Isn't it? Akihiko-senpai's part of my team. Wouldn't it be better if he had both of his soulmates by his side?”

Shinjiro's eyes narrow. “He told you.”

“It came up,” Minato agrees. “Soulmate bonds are some of the strongest bonds around, right? That translates into strength in Tartarus, and we could use it with the full moon coming.”

“Should we be talking about that, Minato-kun?” Yukari hisses, grabbing his arm.

Minato shrugs her off gently. “He was a S.E.E.S member,” he explains, keeping his eyes locked with Shinjiro.

“What!?” Yukari and Junpei exclaim in unison.

“If you know that much, then I'm sure Aki mentioned _why_ I left the dorms,” Shinjiro points out with a glare. “I'm not going back.”

“Not even to keep one of your soulmates safe?” Minato questions, and he can feel Yukari's scandalized glare for the manipulative remark. 

“He can protect himself, and he's got Mitsuru to pull his ass out of the fire when he's a dumbass,” Shinjiro states, though Minato can tell there's hesitation in his words. “He doesn't need me.”

Minato doesn't break his stare, and Shinjiro doesn't back down either. “Bonds make us stronger, even if you don't believe it,” he tells hims as he rucks up his shirt to reveal his soulmark then glancing at Junpei who take a moment to catch on and awkwardly follow suit. “Junpei's one of mine, and our synergy in battle has been improving since we met. I can't even imagine how amazing you and Akihiko-senpai must be together.”

Shinjiro stares at the soulmark for a long moment before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “You're a manipulative little shit,” he tells Minato, who can't help be crack a smile. “One night at the dorm. That's all I'm offering, and that's to get it through some thick skulls that I'm not re-joining S.E.E.S. Out here ain't the best place for this conversation.”

Minato smile widens as he pulls his shirt back down. “Agreed. Shall we?”

As Minato begins to walk away with Shinjiro following behind, Junpei awkwardly pulls his shirt back down and turns to Yukari. “Yuka-tan, what the hell just happened?”

“I have no idea,” she replies, shaking her head. “We better catch up before we're left behind.”

Yukari jogs off, and Junpei stares after them for a moment before running after them.

* * *

Akihiko reaches the bottom of the stairs, staring at the scene in front of him. He came down, hearing his noisy underclassmen coming back from whatever they went out to do. But there's someone else with them, and Akihiko would never mistake that beanie and coat.

“Shinji!” Akihiko exclaims, as he enters the common room. “You're here.”

Shinjiro stares at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “They say you didn't sic some underclassmen on me, but I'm not so sure,” he tells him as he gestures to Minato. “This one is a particularly tough negotiator.”

With a frown forming on his face, Akihiko glances at Minato who makes an attempt at looking innocent. “I'd apologize for interfering, but I'm doing what's best for the team,” he intones with a small shrug.

“You don't take being leader lightly,” Akihiko points out then reaches out put a hand on Shinjiro's shoulder. “Things are different now, Shinji. You wouldn't be here if you weren't considering something.”

“Tch,” Shinjiro grunts in response. “I need to get something through your thick skull. My room still free?”

Akihiko can't completely hide his grin. “Of course it is. I'll let you borrow something to sleep in.”

Shinjiro sighs before glancing over to Minato. “You're coming too,” he states, leaving no room for argument before he follows Akihiko upstairs. 

Minato nods, turning to Yukari. “Can you tell Mitsuru-senpai what we found out about Fuuka?” he asks politely, and Yukari nods in response.

“Will you explain what exactly happened to us later?” she asks, and Minato nods in return. “You better. I don't like being out of the loop.”

Junpei huffs. “Just don't get yourself beat up. You were poking a tiger earlier, I swear,” he warns, sounding a bit worried.

Yukari giggles. “Aww, Junpei's worried about his soulmate,” she teases.

“Aw, shaddup, Yuka-tan,” he grumbles, making Minato smile. “But if that's Akihiko-senpai's other soulmate...”

Minato puts a finger to his lips, signaling Junpei to not finish that thought. “Yeah, I wasn't going to interfere but... I felt that this wouldn't resolve itself,” he murmurs.

With a smile, Yukari gives Minato a small shove. “You're a good friend, Minato-kun,” she tells him plainly. “I'd head up there, if I were you. I don't think Shinjiro-senpai seems the time type that likes to be kept waiting.”

Nodding in agreement, Minato heads up the stairs to the boys' floor of the dorm. He's unsure which room is Shinjiro's, but he hears voices from the room next to Akihiko's. Minato makes a rather safe assumption and knocks on the door. 

“Hey, Arisato,” Akihiko greets as he opens the door and lets his underclassman inside. “Help me talk some sense into him. He's already talking about not even staying the night.”

As Minato closes the door behind him, Shinjiro stalks his way across the room. “I said I came back for one reasons, but...” he says then pauses, looking Minato up and down. “Is your other soulmate mark a tarot card too?”

Minato blinks at the rather forward question before nodding. Shinjiro sighs as Akihiko watches him push up the left sleeve of his coat and turtleneck to reveal the Hierophant card matching the one Minato has on wrist. He blinks before turning over his arm to reveal the matching mark.

“Huh, I hadn't noticed it changed...” he murmurs. “It's a very faint change, but I see it better now than last month...”

“For someone talking about the importance of bonds, you didn't keep track of yours very well,” Shinjiro points out, and Minato snorts. “You talk a big game.”

Minato shrugs. “My interest in them is rather new, I'll admit it,” he says as he watches Shinjiro pulls his sleeves back down. “My personas have made me think about the strength of bonds in battle.”

Shinjiro's eyes narrow. “More than one persona?” he questions.

“He has multiple personas,” Akihiko confirms. “We still don't understand why, but it's been very useful in battle. It gives us a crucial edge.”

“And you want every edge you can get a hold of,” Shinjiro finishes for him with a frown. “I'm not the edge you're looking for, Aki. Forget it.”

“I disagree,” Minato interjects. “Soulmate bonds make our personas stronger.”

“You sound like this idiot, just wanting to get stronger,” Shinjiro replies, gesturing to Akihiko. “I'm a liability, if you want to hear it in a way that might get through your thick skull. My persona control was shaky at best two years ago. What do you think would change about that now, wise guy?”

Minato thinks for a moment. “Well, you'd have both your soulmates by your side, for a start,” he points out. “As would Akihiko-senpai and myself. Could you really forgive yourself if you stood aside while we fight, when you could do something?”

“Manipulative little shit,” Shinjiro curses then snorts. “No wonder you're one of my soulmates. I guess it makes sense if I have to keep Aki in line, there'd be someone trying to keep me in line.”

“I'm pretty good at keeping people in line,” Minato replies then offers out his hand. “Do we have a deal? Come back to S.E.E.S. We'll be stronger together.”

Shinjiro rubs a hand over his face with a sigh. “You're going to continue to hound me, aren't you?”

“No question,” he agrees with no shame. “Do you really want to deal with me and Akihiko-senpai both pestering you? Might as well stay here, at the very least.”

“Aki's annoying ass is enough, thanks,” Shinjiro says he shakes Minato's hand, gripping it hard for a long moment before letting go. “Now, get out of my room. We're going to figure out happened to that Fuuka girl tomorrow. I still can't believe none of you knew she was missing.”

Akihiko puts an arm around Shinjiro's shoulders, squeezing for a moment before letting go. “It's good to have you back, Shinji,” he says sincerely. 

“Yeah, yeah, don't get all sentimental on me. I've had enough for one night.”

“Have a good night, Shinjiro-senpai,” Minato says as he heads out of the room.

Shinjiro scrunches up his nose at the honorific. “That's gonna take some getting used to,” he mutters then looks up at Akihiko. “What are you staring at, Aki?”

“You,” Akihiko replies easily. “Hey, I can admit I've missed having you around. Still can barely believe it. Feels like a dream.”

“Tch, I can punch you if that'll help.”

Laughing, Akihiko shakes his head. “Pretty sure that's supposed to be a pinch, but we've never really done half measures, have we?”

“No, we haven't...” Shinjiro trails off, feeling his stomach flutter weirdly; he hasn't heard Akihiko's laugh in a long time. “Get some sleep. I'll be here in the morning. I promise that much.”

“I'll keep you to that,” Akihiko says with a grin. “Good night, Shinji.”

“G'night, Aki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sparse use of lines from canon, because certain scenes call for it. I'm going to admit I didn't mean to drag Shinji back to S.E.E.S. quite so soon, but I couldn't help myself. So we start to go AU from canon from here.
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it too. <3


	4. Chapter III: Back into the Swing of Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji meant to stay uninvolved with S.E.E.S. Too bad he can't help himself, and too bad he has two stubborn soulmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to just thank everyone who's reading this. Kudos and comments really help. Also my last darling commenter definitely figured out pretty much who's who when it comes to soulmate matches. Good job. <3
> 
> Enjoy the June Full Moon chapter. I feel like I'll rename the chapters better later. XD

When Shinjiro finds out Moriyama Natsuki would be staying at the dorm unattended while the other S.E.E.S. members were finding a way to retrieve Fuuka, he jumps at the chance to stay behind. Not that he's scared of Tartarus or the Dark Hour, but Shinjiro's still not sure of his abilities. 

He'll stand guard instead and keep the girl from leaving, even if she'd deserve a bit of what the Dark Hour has to offer. After what he's overheard her and her friends say that they've done to the Yamagishi girl, he wouldn't even feel that guilty about it. But it's better to stick around than leaving her with full run of the dorm.

“You hang around that back alley at night too,” she says to him suddenly, and he looks her way. “I didn't think... You were there when we gloated about what we'd done then.”

“Yes, I was,” Shinjiro confirms, glaring at her.

Natsuki seems to shrink in on herself. “We were terrible to her. She has to be okay...” she murmurs sadly then sits up suddenly, back straight. “Hmm...? No...”

Shinjiro watches her as she shouts and clutches her head. “Hey, calm down,” he says as a reassuringly as he can, but he can tell it's not working.

“...calling me...” she says, as though in a trance. “I...I have to go... ...tell her I'm sorry...”

“You're not going anywhere,” Shinjiro tells her as he moves to get in her way.

She groans Fuuka's name as she shoves at Shinjiro with a strange surge of unnatural strength. Having not expected it, she manages to get by him as he loses his footing, crashing to the floor. Groaning, Shinjiro pushes himself up and heads after her.

* * *

“...Moriyama-san!?” Fuuka questions in shock as Natsuki tumbles into Tartarus.

Akihiko calls out to Fuuka, but she's already running over to the other girl, right into the line of fire. Everything happens so quickly, and Fuuka's summoned her persona to protect herself and Natsuki. Akihiko's attention has already turned back to the shadows, who drop Mitsuru.

A moment later, he notices Shinjiro's entered Tartarus as well. “That girl can run when there're voices inside her head, the hell,” he says in lieu of a greeting as he takes in the surroundings, panting. 

“We could use the help, Shinji,” Akihiko tells him as he stands up, digs into their cache of weapons their leader collects, and tosses Shinjiro an axe.

Hefting the axe over his shoulder, Shinjiro sighs. “There's never easing back into anything with you,” he says, falling into an easy banter with Akihiko.

Minato calls out to Fuuka to analyze the enemies, and when she finds that the Empress Arcana shadow is weak to physical attacks, Shinjiro heads for it. His axe smashes down against its' midsection, and it crashes to the ground with a great thud. 

_“Akihiko-senpai, you can take down the other shadow with a zio attack,”_ Fuuka relays to them, and Akihiko strikes with Polydeuces, knocking the Emperor down.

With both shadows down, Minato calls out for an All-Out Attack. Even with the force of all four of them, both shadows still get back up. Evading and enduring the retaliation from the shadows, Minato and Junpei take their turns taking down the enemies. 

Junpei swings his sword down on the Empress while Minato summons Orpheus to set the Emperor aflame. The next All-Out Attack manages to take out the shadows soundly, and they turn around to check on the girls behind them, seeing Fuuka's persona fade.

“Are there more of them...?” she questions.

Akihiko shakes his head. “No, you're safe.”

Fuuka smiles, turning to Natsuki. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah...” Natsuki murmurs, flustered, only becoming more so when Fuuka falls to the ground. “Fuuka!”

“She's just exhausted. First time summoning your persona can be rough...” Shinjiro says quietly, as Natsuki pays him no mind, apologizing over and over again.

Yukari bites her lip. “Natsuki saw everything... What are we going to do about that?”

“Nothing,” Mitsuru replies.

Akihiko nods. “She's not like us. She won't remember the Dark Hour.”

“That doesn't seem fair,” Yukari says with a frown. “She won't remember Fuuka saved her life.”

“I think she's learned her lesson, even if she won't remember exactly why,” Mitsuru says in response as Natsuki cries over Fuuka.

* * *

A few nights later, Fuuka joins the team officially. Shinjiro comes to the meeting, saying in no uncertain terms he's only there temporarily, garnering no disagreement. Mitsuru and Akihiko seem pleased either way. Shinjiro decides to turn in early for the night, but before he can reach his room, Minato catches up to him.

“Hey,” he greets, albeit a bit awkwardly.

“Arisato,” Shinjiro says in return, getting a nose crinkle from the underclassman.

Minato tilts his head. “We're soulmates. You can call me Minato.”

Shinjiro stares him. “Kid.”

“Senpai,” Minato replies in kind, staring right back at him.

“Maybe I'll call you Minato in private,” he offers graciously, though Minato scarcely believes him.

“And maybe I'll drop senpai, Shinjiro,” Minato says then shrugs. “I wanted to get to know you, and not just from pieces of stories I've gleaned from Akihiko-senpai.”

“Not much to know. You'll be disappointed.”

Minato shakes his head. “I don't think I will be. Good night, _senpai_.”

Shinjiro scowls as Minato turns to walk away. When Minato shuts his door behind him, Shinjiro hears a chuckle from the end of the hallway. Pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment, he turns to see Akihiko standing there a smug look.

“Don't say a word,” Shinjiro warns.

Akihiko just grins wider. “I think he's got you outclassed in talking back, Shinji.”

“Musta been his unruly senpai teaching him bad habits,” Shinjiro responds as he pulls Akihiko into a headlock. “You're both menaces.”

Laughing, Akihiko struggles to get out of the headlock. “Yeah, takes one to know one,” he tells him before knocking his head up into Shinjiro's chin, effectively breaking the hold. “Hah, we haven't sparred in so long. Let's head to my room-”

“Akihiko!” Mitsuru's voice calls out from the stairs. “I can hear what you're planning. No sparring in the dorm rooms! It's bad enough you have all that training equipment in there. Shinjiro, do not encourage him!”

Both teens cringe in unison as they step away from each other, Shinjiro rubbing his jaw. “We'll behave! Good night, Mitsuru!” Akihiko says in response then sighs he hears her good night. “Rain check?”

Shinjiro rolls his eyes, wanting to cuff Akihiko upside the head but too wary of Mitsuru to rile Akihiko back up. “You really want her to execute us, don't you?”

Akihiko ducks his head. “Definitely not,” he disagrees. “We'll talk more tomorrow.”

“G'night, moron,” Shinjiro replies as Akihiko rolls his eyes.

“Good night, Shinji.”

* * *

It's strange living in the dorm again, especially such a full dorm. Akihiko and Mitsuru haven't changed much at all, but the second years are so wildly different from each other. Unfortunately, most everyone in the dorm has one thing in common; they're all abysmal cooks. It only takes a few days of seeing Junpei live off cup noodles and the rest not faring much better for Shinjiro to take over the kitchen.

He tends to cook once everyone has headed off for school, as to keep the nosiness to a minimum. Shinjiro makes meals and sets them aside to prepare the bento boxes that night for everyone to have one for the next day. Teriyaki salmon and vegetables feature in the first bento he prepared the night before, and he has curry and rice ready for dinner.

“Whoa, something smells amazing!” Junpei exclaims as the second years return from afternoon activities. “Mitsuru-senpai, did you order out for us?”

Shinjiro's already hidden his apron and pretends to be coming down the stairs as Mitsuru's brows furrow. “No, I haven't ordered dinner...” she says she surveys the food, glancing at Shinjiro for a moment. “I believe I'll ask the chairman later, but it seems unlikely someone would break in to leave us such a spread.”

Akihiko thankfully keeps his mouth shut as well; while Shinjiro's never cooked anything for Akihiko before, he does know about Shinjiro's cooking hobby. “Well, I'd say we better dig in before it gets cold!”

“Hell yeah!” Junpei exclaims excitedly as he heaps rice onto his plate.

Yukari and Fuuka follow in suit, though a bit less crazed. Minato isn't far behind, loading up on curry and rice as well. Shinjiro waits for the others to fill their plates before making his own. The table doesn't have too much chatter, and Shinjiro feels as though almost everyone at the table hasn't had a good meal that wasn't from a restaurant in a while.

The silence breaks when Junpei burps loudly, getting a disgusted sound from Yukari. “Stupei, that's disgusting!”

“The food was really good,” he defends himself. “And man, so was the bento for lunch. Mitsuru-senpai, you think the chairman got us catering all day? Because man, this is the life.”

“The bento was quite good,” Fuuka agrees shyly. “I wish I could make something like that... My rice always ends up burnt.”

Akihiko finishes his plate off and looks over to Shinjiro. “I, for one, loved the food,” he says as he stares down Shinjiro.

“Mmm, _très bien_. The chef must've been very talented. The curry had a wonderful blend of spices,” she agrees with a chuckle.

“Could've been better,” Shinjiro disagrees, just to be contradictory as his friends in the know turn against him.

Minato looks up from his finished plate. “Senpai, thank you for the meal,” he says, staring down Shinjiro.

The other underclassmen fall silent, everyone turning towards Shinjiro, who covers his face with his hand. “You're all nosy bunch of children,” he mutters as Akihiko hides a smug grin. “I don't take requests. If you're allergic to something, I'll take that into account.”

After that, the room erupts with a commotion that immediately gives Shinjiro a headache. Somehow, he manages to take his dish to the sink without getting cornered by any eager underclassmen. As a courtesy, he lets Mitsuru know he's stepping out for a walk.

Even in June, Shinjiro keeps his coat buttoned up tight. He doesn't feel as chilled as usual, but he knows if he ditches the coat even in the beginning of summer, he'll regret it later. Luckily, it's not a far walk to the Naganaki Shrine.

Shinjiro hears an excited bark and smiles. He digs into his pockets when a white dog bounds over, taking out some dog food he'd made with leftovers of his recent cooking adventures. Koromaru looks delighted as he eats from Shinjiro's hand with absolutely not hesitation.

“You're such a good dog, Koro-chan,” he murmurs, petting Koromaru gently as the dog finishes his snack. “I'll try to bring you more food. I'm staying somewhere with a real kitchen. Too bad my housemates are a nosy as hell.”

Koromaru barks, tilting his head curiously. “No worries, they're good kids. I shouldn't be staying with them,” he replies as Koromaru hops up onto the bench, nuzzling into Shinjiro's side. “They have no idea what I've done. Well, their leader does, but he's my other soulmate, so he must have a few screws loose up there...”

Whining, Koromaru leans up and licks at Shinjiro's face. “Hey, stop that,” he protests weakly, but he doesn't push the dog away. “I have to head back soon, or Aki and the kid will come looking for me. I'll be back soon, okay?”

As if understanding Shinjiro's words, Koromaru hops down with a few more barks before running back to the shrine. Shinjiro smiles as he dusts himself off then makes his way back to dorm for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, the chapters seem to be getting longer? The next one is double the first chapter at least, but it doesn't have a good place to split, so expect a nice long chapter next post! Tell me what you think of the character interactions so far. I'm having fun with them. The P3 cast and story is so fun to play in.


	5. Chapter IV: Girls' Night In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukari and Fuuka find some time to have some girl talk. Meanwhile, Mitsuru corners Shinjiro in the kitchen and finds out some secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter focuses on the ladies of S.E.E.S. ...with a bit of Shinji, since I can't help myself. Also plot reasons. <3

“Yukari-chan?” Fuuka's shy voice calls out from the other side of the bedroom door.

Stretching in front of her desk, Yukari puts down the magazine she was reading to pad over to the door. “Hey, Fuuka, what's up?” she asks as she let's the other girl into her room. “Is this about what we talked about?”

Fuuka nods as she sits on Yukari's bed. “You were right about looking into the strange flood of student absences ten years ago,” she explains. “Around the same time, there was an incident, an explosion. No students were injured, but many people died.”

Yukari frowns. “I wonder if Mitsuru-senpai knew about this.”

Biting her lip, Fuuka looks apprehensive. “I mean, senpai is only a year older than us. She couldn't have been older than eight years old when this took place.”

“That's true...” Yukari says pensively. “But wait, doesn't the Kirijo Group own the school? There's no way Mitsuru-senpai would miss something like that.”

“I don't know, Yukari-chan...” Fuuka says, opening her laptop that Yukari hadn't noticed that she had brought into the room with her. “It's possible she knows, but I'd like to give our senpai the benefit of the doubt until I find more information.”

“I guess that makes sense,” she agrees reluctantly then blinks. “I never noticed before, but is that one of your soulmarks?”

Fuuka jolts, holding her arm. “Oh, yes,” she says quietly. “I try to keep it hidden. It goes up most of my forearm. I've been made fun of for it...”

“That's terrible!” Yukari exclaims then leans down to pull down one of her knee socks. “One of mine covers my whole calf. It's not uncommon.”

“Oh!” Fuuka says as she stares at the pale circuitry pattern that shapes itself into flowers around Yukari's leg. “Yukari-chan, we're soulmates!” 

Yukari's eyes widen as Fuuka rolls up the sleeve of her cardigan to reveal the dull pink mark that starts to brighten a bit as the skin's revealed. “That's amazing!” she says in awe then grins. “Wait until the others hear about this. We're really becoming a tight knit group, but it looks like most of us were destined to meet!”

Fuuka flushes. “Yes, that's true...” she murmurs, her hand straying to her neck. “I met my romantic soulmate because of all this as well...”

“What!” Yukari shouts as Fuuka panics, so she lowers her voice. “I mean, who? When did that happen? Fuuka, tell me the details!”

“Goodness,” Fuuka says, flustered as she places her laptop safely on the other side of the bed. “We haven't talked too much about what it means yet... We didn't find out until after we had our moment together, so... It's still a bit awkward.”

Yukari gapes for a second then gives Fuuka a light shove. “You found your romantic soulmate _and_ had your moment? Fuuka, that's amazing!” she says then pauses with a curious look on her face. “But how did you have your moment first?”

“Well...” Fuuka trails off. “Please promise to keep an open mind.”

“I'll try,” Yukari agrees, biting her lip. “It's not Junpei, is it? Wait, he'd never shut up if it was...”

Fuuka can't help but giggle. “That's true, Yukari-chan, but it'd never happen. I...uhh, he's not exactly my type in more than one way.”

With a laugh, Yukari waves off Fuuka's words. “He's no one's type.”

“Well,” Fuuka begins, biting her lip, “my romantic soulmate is...Moriyama-san.”

Yukari blinks for a moment before the name sinks in. “Wait, Natsuki? The girl who locked you in the school gym!?”

“She truly regrets it,” Fuuka defends weakly. “I know it's strange, because she's a girl-”

“That's not my problem, Fuuka! She could have gotten you killed if we hadn't found you!” Yukari argues.

With a sigh, Fuuka bows her head. “I know that...” she states plainly before looking up at Yukari with a look of determination. “She's trying to make it up to me, and I want to see where this leads.”

Yukari sighs, putting a hand over Fuuka's. “I can't fault you for that, I guess,” she says grudgingly, “but please, keep me in the loop, even if you don't want to tell the others? You're way more forgiving than I am.”

Fuuka smiles and squeezes Yukari's hand. “You have my word, Yukari-chan,” she promises.

“I'm holding you to it,” Yukari warns. “And you'll let me know when you have your first date, because when I'm done with you, Natsuki will be too in awe of your beauty to even think!”

“Yukari-chan!” Fuuka exclaims, face reddening as she bats Yukari away with a laugh.

Yukari grins as she stands. “I think it's almost dinner time. Let's head down and see what Shinjiro-senpai's made this time!”

Fuuka nods, thankful for the change in subject. “I wonder if I should ask Shinjiro-senpai for cooking lessons... Do you think he'd agree?” she wonders aloud.

“Wouldn't hurt to try,” Yukari says with a sly grin as she heads for the door. “He's a big softie under all that gruff talk, don't you think?”

“I'd never say that to his face, but yes,” Fuuka agrees, grabbing her laptop. “I'll be down in a moment. Let me bring this back to my room.”

Yukari shakes her head. “Nah, leave it here. We can have a sleepover,” she says confidently. “I mean, if you're not busy. I'm definitely not studying tonight.”

Fuuka pauses for a moment before placing her laptop on Yukari's desk. “I've never had a sleepover before,” she replies shyly. 

“Then it's settled! Hmm, I wonder if we can talk Shinjiro-senpai into making us some snacks...” Yukari ponders as she leaves the room.

“Yukari-chan! Don't trouble senpai too much!” she exclaims as she follows her into the hallway and downstairs for dinner.

* * *

Mitsuru keeps a watchful eye on Shinjiro after she sees him go back to the kitchen after they've finished cleaning up the dishes from dinner. He notices her but pays her no mind. She'd almost forgotten that Shinjiro never paid her much mind if she didn't speak up first. It's a bit refreshing, she thinks, to be ignored. 

Usually, Shinjiro tends to cook and prep their meals while everyone in the dorm attends class. Mitsuru hasn't brought up the fact that he should be joining them since his first day back. It's an argument with no winner, and she does not enjoy beating her head against a brick wall.

“What are you making now, chef?” Mitsuru asks, when curiosity gets the better of her, and she can't help tease her old friend.

Shinjiro rolls his eyes. “Snacks for Takeba and Yamagishi's little slumber party,” he tells her as he cuts up some lotus root. “What do girls even eat at those kind of things?”

“I've never had the time for one, so I couldn't tell you,” Mitsuru admits. “Though, if Takeba managed to ask you to make them snacks, I'm sure anything you make will be well received. How did she talk you into it?”

“Yamagishi said she'd make them if I didn't,” he replies with a cringe as he adds some vinegar to a bowl of cold water. “She's sweet girl, but she doesn't know her way around the kitchen. I've seen her mistake oil for rice wine vinegar. It's safer for everyone this way.”

Mitsuru crinkles her nose. “To be honest, I'm not sure I'd fare much better in the kitchen. I've had a rather...sheltered life.”

With a snort, Shinjiro gestures Mitsuru to come over. “Let's remedy that. At least I can trust you to follow instructions.”

“What a glowing endorsement,” she jokes as she makes her way into the kitchen proper. “What do you need me to prepare, chef?”

“That nickname is not sticking,” he warns then points to a cabinet. “There's a bag of popcorn kernels and an air popper in that cabinet. I'll fry these lotus chips, and you can pop the popcorn. We'll season it after.”

Mitsuru nods as she grabs the items. “I didn't even know we had these...” she murmurs as she plugs in the air popper.

As Shinjiro drains and pats dry the cuts of lotus root, he explains to Mitsuru how much popcorn to put in the machine and where the bowl for the popcorn would be. It's not too difficult, and soon, she has a bowl filled with popcorn. Shinjiro start frying the lotus root pieces as he tells Mitsuru to get out some sugar and butter as well as another pan. As almost an afterthought, he tells her to grab an apron as well.

About fifteen minutes later, Mitsuru looks over their handiwork, pleased. “I was afraid I might ruin something, but that went rather well. It looks delicious as always, Shinjiro.”

Shinjiro hangs up his apron. “Well, I didn't get a chance to taste test, so I'll leave that to you.”

“Gladly,” she replies as she takes a lotus root chip. “Perfectly seasoned. It seems so simple.”

“Try the popcorn,” he tells her as he turns away, his face looking flushed.

Mitsuru nods and takes a small handful. “Oh, _c'est magnifique_!”

“Well, kudos to the chef,” he says before he starts coughing.

Without another thought, Mitsuru wipes her hands on her apron and goes to Shinjiro's side in an instant. “Shinjiro? What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” he manages to say before coughing again.

“This doesn't seem to be nothing,” Mitsuru disagrees. “What can I do?”

After another small coughing fit, Shinjiro sighs and points toward where his coat is hung up. “There's a small bottle in my coat. Left pocket.”

Mitsuru nods, leaving his side for a moment to grab the bottle. It's unlabeled and like no prescription or medication bottle she's seen before. “Here,” she offers, and he pops the bottle open skillfully, swallowing two pills dry. 

The coughing subsides, and Mitsuru lets Shinjiro have a few minutes to breath. “What are those pills?” she questions quietly, steel in her voice.

“None of your business, Kirijo,” he rasps out.

Mitsuru's eyes narrow at the name change. “I do like to think we're friends, Aragaki,” she replies in kind. “Tell me what's going on. Perhaps I can help.”

Shinjiro laughs hoarsely. “You're not going to let up, are you? As bad as Aki,” he grumbles then sighs. “Take the snacks up to the girls. I know I can't escape the wrath of Kirijo Mitsuru. We'll talk...after, if you insist.”

“I do insist,” Mitsuru states plainly as she gathers the food. “We'll meet in your room? I assume you want privacy.”

“Mitsuru, how scandalous, inviting yourself to a guy's room,” he teases then shakes his head. “I don't want anyone to know but especially not Aki. My room is a no go.”

Mitsuru pauses for a moment in thought. “The doors to the command room lock, and I don't believe that the chairman is staying here tonight.”

“I'll meet you up there in a bit,” he agrees, and Mitsuru looks him over once more before hanging up her apron and heading up to the girls' floor to deliver the snacks.

* * *

“Yukari-chan, I don't think I could wear something like that...” Fuuka says, trying to close the fashion magazine Yukari has open for her.

Yukari laughs. “C'mon, Fuuka, a shorter skirt, some jewelry...”

Fuuka shakes her head, pushing the magazine at Yukari with a giggle. “That definitely sounds more your style.”

“Hmm, I guess you're right...” she replies, pensively putting a finger to her lips in thought. “Well, we can work with the boho look. I think that'd be more in your comfort zone. I know just the shop we can hit on Sunday!”

Before Fuuka can reply, a knock on the door interrupts them. “Oh, is Shinjiro-senpai bringing up the snacks? I hope it wasn't too much trouble...” Fuuka says quietly.

Yukari jumps to her feet. “Senpai, you didn't have to-” she begins to say as she opens the door, her sentence abruptly cut off when she notices it's not Shinjiro at the door. “Oh, Mitsuru-senpai...”

Fuuka looks unsure what to do as she greets Mitsuru. “Did you need something, Mitsuru-senpai? I thought we weren't going to Tartarus tonight...”

“We're not,Yamagishi,” Mitsuru says, a bit stilted. “Shinjiro asked me to bring these up...while he cleans up in the kitchen.”

Looking a bit wary, Yukari takes the offered snacks. “Thanks, senpai. Uhh...” she trails off awkwardly.

Fuuka looks between the two girls, feeling the awkward tension in the room. “Did you want to join us, Mitsuru-senpai?” she asks as Yukari tries to hide a grimace at the invitation. “I mean, I heard sleepovers are more fun with more people? More the merrier!”

Mitsuru glances at Yukari and shakes her head. “I have other business to attend to, but I appreciate the offer,” she politely declines. “Takeba, Yamagishi, have a good night.”

With that, Mitsuru leaves the room, and Yukari lets out a sigh of relief. “I don't know what I would have done if she had said yes...” she mutters to herself while Fuuka frowns.

“Do you not like Mitsuru-senpai?” she questions.

“Well...” Yukari begins as she flops onto her bed. “It's not really that. I mean, she's hiding something. I can't help the nagging feeling there's just more that she knows, and we don't. We're risking our lives, but we don't have all the details? How fair is that?”

“That might be true, but I don't think there's malicious intent,” Fuuka says gently then sighs. “I wish I could find out more to ease your mind, Yukari-chan.”

Yukari sits up in her bed and offers Fuuka a soft smile. “Thanks, Fuuka,” she says sincerely. “Maybe I should try and see this from Mitsuru-senpai's point of view. It's just hard when I don't know all the facts...”

“Well, we shouldn't dwell on it. Tonight is supposed to be just a girls' night, right?” Fuuka tells Yukari then gestures to the snacks. “Let's find a movie to watch. We wouldn't want to let Shinjiro-senpai's snacks go to waste.”

Mood brightening, Yukari reaches out for some lotus root chips, and when she crunches into them, her face lights up. “Oh, these are great! I don't know if these will last very long... I could eat them forever.”

Fuuka tries some of the caramel popcorn and makes a pleased sounds. “So sweet,” she murmurs with a smile. “Try some, Yukari-chan!”

The night devolves into snacking and movies, and the snacks run out long before the movies do.

* * *

Mitsuru heads up to the command room, and she tries to focus on Shinjiro. It's an important conversation; she has to wrangle some answers from him, but her mind can't help slide back to the grimace on Yukari's face. 

Not that Mitsuru believes everyone must like her, but she didn't think Yukari had such an apparent dislike of her. She tries to rationalize that perhaps Yukari didn't want her time with Fuuka encroached on. It's a flimsy rationalization, and Mitsuru hates that she's spending any time overthinking it.

When she reaches the door of the command room, Mitsuru braces herself. “Shinjiro, I'm here,” she says as she pushes thoughts of Yukari out of her mind as she pushes the doors open.

“Lock the door behind you,” he replies from the couch.

With a nod, Mitsuru locks the doors before striding over to the couch opposite of Shinjiro. “So, the pills. What are they, and why are you taking them?” she asks plainly as she sits down, legs crossed.

“Always straight to the point,” Shinjiro grumbles as he sits up straight. “Fine then. They're persona suppressors. I think it's obvious why I take them.”

Mitsuru frowns. “And you've been taking them since you left almost two years ago, I assume?”

Shinjiro nods. “More or less.”

“You're an idiot,” Mitsuru replies simply, and Shinjiro scowls in return.

“Yeah? What right do you have to say that to me? It's so I don't hurt anyone else,” he spits out. “You've seen Castor.”

“So, your response to keep yourself from hurting anyone else is to hurt yourself?” Mitsuru questions, shaking her head. “What good does that do? Tell me you're not slowly killing yourself because of an accident.”

Shinjiro stands up angrily. “If I die, then it's no more than I deserve,” he states, his fists balled up at his sides. “I'm not needed. I left S.E.E.S. for a reason.”

“If you think that your persona is all we needed, then you must think me cold-hearted,” she replies steadily. “Yes, initially, I was pleased that Akihiko had found another persona user, but your connection with him is so strong. Not only that, I thought we had become friends, at the very least... You don't think your friends would mourn you?”

Her words hit the mark as the tension leaves Shinjiro's shoulders as he sits back down. “You're not as cold as you let strangers think,” he says quietly. “And yeah, we're friends, Mitsuru. This was easier at a distance, you know.”

Mitsuru chuckles with a wry smile. “Well, you've lost that distance. I won't allow you to regain it,” she tells him. “Please, even if we don't tell the others, let me have some doctors look you over. Maybe we can find something that will reverse the side effects of those pills.”

“It's probably too late,” Shinjiro warns. “Don't get your hopes up. ...and that doesn't solve the problem of my control over Castor.”

“I won't accept that,” Mitsuru counters. “And I think the last full moon proved to be telling. Castor seemed under control with your soulmates there, don't you think?”

Shinjiro sighs. “This teaches me to never underestimate how stubborn you can be,” he says, resigned. “Maybe they helped. I'd rather not chance it.”

“Hmm, what if your only forays into Tartarus are with a team of myself, Akihiko, and Arisato?” Mitsuru offers as a solution. “I have full knowledge of the situation, Akihiko knows Castor well enough, and Arisato's ability to change personas at a whim can counter most anything. Does that suffice?”

“It's better,” Shinjiro agrees grudgingly. “I'm sure you're already planning it, so when should I get ready for an awkward Kirijo approved doctor's appointment?”

With a smile, Mitsuru stands. “I can have one scheduled as soon as tomorrow afternoon.”

“Better get it over with,” Shinjiro mutters as he stands himself, staring Mitsuru down. “Not a word of this to Aki. He'll overreact.”

She sighs, nodding in agreement. “Yes, I believe it'd be a brawl between you two that I'd inevitably have to break up. I'd prefer to avoid that as well.” Mitsuru pauses, matching Shinjiro's gaze. “But we will tell him in the future, when the doctors have had their way with you.”

Shinjiro cringes. “Did you have to say it like that?” he asks as Mitsuru hides a chuckle behind her hand. “Fine, Aki will know if there's a miracle. Only then, got it?”

“We'll discuss when Akihiko can be informed at a later date,” she says instead. “I believe it's getting rather late. Have a good night, Shinjiro. I'll be staying here a bit longer. Arisato mentioned something about the console malfunctioning. Might as well look into while I'm here.”

“Damn, dismissed like a Kirijo employee,” Shinjiro replies cheekily, ducking his head at Mitsuru's answering glare. “Good night, Mitsuru.”

“Good night, Shinjiro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing Yukari and Fuuka getting some down time to be normal girls, even with all the drama brewing in the background. And I really wish canon had given me more of Mitsuru and Shinjiro interacting, because I've very fond of senpai trio, and those two always felt like they'd have to constantly team up to combat some of Akihiko's stupid.
> 
> In other news, I've been watching bits of the Weird Masquerade stage play and listening to some of the drama CDs. I know this fandom is a little old and dead, but I'm having a blast. Hopefully, it'll lead to writing more fic. <3


	6. Chapter V: Shirakawa Boulevard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The July Full Moon goes more awry than anyone could have predicted. S.E.E.S. are paired off, but can they fight off the thrall of Lovers shadow? Or will some uncomfortable feelings be revealed?
> 
> (Warning: This chapter is rated M, and there is some dub-con, because of the nature of the Lovers shadow.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided unless there's other chapters with M rated content, I'm keeping the rating of this fic at T. That's fair warning that this chapter is M rated for sexual content, so if that's not your thing, I'll leave a summary in the end notes.

_Pleasure is what you truly want._

Minato blinks, a fog settling over his thoughts. He can hear water running, and a shower sounds wonderful. As he makes his way towards the bathroom, the shower turns off. When Minato enters the bathroom, he catches Junpei stepping out, naked and wet. He blinks owlishly; Junpei stares back.

_You stand before the doorway to bliss._

“Hey, Minato...” Junpei says, blinking hard as Minato hands him a towel. “Wha...?”

“You're naked,” Minato explains as Junpei begins to regain awareness of the situation. 

_You cannot deny your instincts..._

Junpei clutches his head, his awareness slipping away again. “Minato...” he moans, clenching the towel in his hand.

Minato shakes his head, grabbing the towel from Junpei to force him to wrap it around his lower half. “Junpei, snap out of it.”

_Embrace your desire..._

“Shut up!” Minato shouts, looking around for the voice as his mind becomes clear. “What the hell is going on...”

He notices the mirror behind him has no reflection. It's suspicious, and Minato immediately looks around for anything heavy. Junpei's baseball bat lays on the ground forgotten, and Minato picks it up, pushes Junpei back, and takes a swing at the mirror.

It shatters with a loud clatter and a strange hiss. “Holy shit!” Junpei exclaims as the fog that had been plaguing them both lifts suddenly and completely. “Why am I naked!? Minato, what the hell happened!?”

Minato sighs heavily as he puts down the baseball bat. “You were coming onto me,” he says in perfect deadpan, and when Junpei starts to freak out, he bites back a smile. “Not of your own free will. I think there may be another shadow in this hotel...”

“Goddammit,” Junpei curses, clenching the towel around his waist tightly. “Man, get out of here! I want to put my clothes on in peace.”

“Yeah,” he agrees as he exits the bathroom.

 _“Oh, I can finally reach you! Can you two hear me? Minato-kun? Junpei-kun?”_ Fuuka's voice echoes through his head.

“I can hear you, Fuuka,” Minato replies, messaging his temples.

“H-hey, Fuuka-chan!” Junpei replies as well, voice muffled behind the bathroom door.

 _“There's another shadow. It's been interfering with my communications. I'm sorry I couldn't reach you sooner,”_ Fuuka apologizes. _“The shadow is still in the room we fought the first one. Everyone's been separated, so find the others and regroup upstairs.”_

“Sure thing,” Minato affirms as he glances at the bathroom door.

Junpei stumbles out into the hotel room, school uniform askew as he straightens up. “Uhh, Fuuka-chan, you didn't have any visuals earlier, did you?”

_“No, did something happen, Junpei-kun?”_

“Not a thing! Don't worry about it!” he exclaims in a rush, setting a heavy look in Minato's direction. “Nothing happened, right, buddy?”

“Not a thing,” Minato agrees as they both head out of the hotel room. 

Junpei stays silent as they reach the stairs to head up to the next floor. Minato doesn't mind the silence, but the looks Junpei gives him when he thinks he's not looking are awkward. Unsure what to do about them, Minato decides to keep quiet. He just hopes the others have fared better than they have.

* * *

_The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication..._

Shinjiro's never been so comfortable in his whole life. The bed beneath him is feather soft; he can't will himself to get up. His coat and beanie lie on a chair on the far side of the room with his boots underneath, and he stretches out on the bed. He can't remember why he's here, but Shinjiro finds it hard to care as the bathroom door opens.

Akihiko steps out in nothing but a short towel wrapped around his waist. “Shinji...” he says happily, though his tone sounds strange for a reason Shinjiro can't quite grasp. “Comfortable?”

“Mm,” Shinjiro agrees, though it's not much more than a contented sigh. “You should join me, Aki.”

Akihiko strides towards the bed with purpose. “Yeah?” he asks as he reaches the bed, and he straddles Shinjiro without a second thought. “What should I do now that I'm here?”

_Let your desire free you from your shackles..._

Shinjiro reaches up, stroking Akihiko's cheek with his right hand. His shared soulmark with Akihiko faintly shimmers with a hint of a color, but the minor detail is lost on him as he pulls Akihiko forward. Their lips meet passionately, and Shinjiro can't help but wrap his free arm around Akihiko's waist, pulling him closer.

They kiss, and kiss, and kiss. It's hard to pull away to even breath, but Shinjiro manages it once before his desires overcomes him again. He flips Akihiko onto his back, straddling him instead. Akihiko doesn't struggle, licking his lips before they share another kiss.

A thought sticks as they kiss and rut against each other, and Shinjiro clings to it stubbornly. Akihiko isn't fighting him, and he knows deep in his bones that Akihiko would never not turn everything into a competition. Akihiko's lying beneath him, seemingly content to follow his lead, can't be real.

_Such is my wish..._

It's wrong. Shinjiro can't quite grasp the why yet, but he pulls away from the kiss and rolls away from Akihiko in a rush. When Akihiko tries to follow, Shinjiro gives him a rough shove and accidentally sends him tumbling off the bed.

Akihiko hits the floor with a thud, and Shinjiro winces at the sound as his head starts to clear. “What the hell, Shinji...” Akihiko groans as he sits up on the floor. “Wait... Why am I...”

“I have no idea, but you might want to put some clothes on,” Shinjiro replies, turning away as Akihiko really notices his state.

“Shit-!” he curses as he stands up quickly, clutching his hands awkwardly to keep his towel from slipping off completely. “I'm...going to get dressed.”

Shinjiro grunts in acknowledgment as Akihiko more or less sprints for the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Messaging his temples, Shinjiro walks across the room to grab his coat and beanie. Without the strange compulsion overtaking his senses, he feels cold. 

That really should have been the tip off. He never really feels warm enough anymore, even in the beginning of July. After he pulls on his coat then his boots, Shinjiro notices they were alone. He's thankful for it, but now he's definitely worried about the others.

The bathroom door slams back open, and Akihiko comes out with his uniform a mess. “Aki, at least tie your tie, or someone's going to ask questions,” he points out.

Akihiko flushes as he fumbles with the ribbon. “Can we talk about this later? I'm feeling the urge to punch something, and I think there's definitely a shadow that needs to get KO'd.”

Shinjiro nods, yanking his beanie on. “It's getting an axe to the head,” he agrees, already opening the hotel room door. “Let's find the others.”

 _“Akihiko-senpai! Shinjiro-senpai! Can you hear me?”_ Fuuka's voice echoes in their heads suddenly.

“Uh, yeah, we can hear you, Yamagishi,” Akihiko says as they leave the hotel room. “I'm assuming we missed a second shadow?”

 _“Yes, it's still in the room we fought the first one. How did you know?”_ she asks curiously as Shinjiro clears his throat before Akihiko can say something incriminating.

“Long story. Have you found the others?” Shinjiro asks, and Akihiko shoots him a relieved look.

 _“Yes, I just haven't made contact with Mitsuru-senpai or Yukari-chan,”_ Fuuka replies. _“Minato-kun and Junpei-kun are heading up the stairs now, so they should be meeting you shortly.”_

As if summoning them, Minato and Junpei appear from around the corner. Junpei looks just as frazzled as they do, but strangely enough, Minato manages to look almost completely composed. Shinjiro feels a bit jealous, but he wonders what could have happened. Then he just hopes that Mitsuru and Yukari can avoid the shadow's whispers.

* * *

_I am the voice of your inner self..._

Mitsuru pulls Yukari by the hand into the bathroom. She smiles softly, running hand through Yukari's hair. In response, Yukari reaches up to caress her cheek. Mitsuru pulls her forward into a heated kiss, and any thoughts devolve into how to move her lips and where to slide her hands.

Even though Mitsuru takes the lead, Yukari doesn't let her keep it. She's divesting Mitsuru of her uniform and leaves Mitsuru with no recourse to strip Yukari in return. Soon, one of them has turned on the shower, and once all their clothing falls away, they move into the spray of hot water.

_Enjoy the moment..._

“Mitsuru...”

Yukari reaches for Mitsuru again, bringing their lips together again for another fierce kiss. The water adds a slide that wasn't there before, and Mitsuru can hardly keep her hands where she places them. With a few attempts, Yukari presses Mitsuru against the shower wall. It's a position Mitsuru never thought she'd enjoy as Yukari kisses her again.

Sliding a leg forward to gain some leverage, Mitsuru pulls a moan from her as Yukari unconsciously grinds against the thigh between her legs. Its doesn't take long for Yukari to break their kiss and start kissing her way down Mitsuru's neck. A pleased sigh escapes her lips as Mitsuru tilts her head head back. 

_That which cannot be felt is merely a dream..._

“Yukari...” Mitsuru moans as Yukari pulls away to fall to her knees.

The name on her lips makes her pause as she looks down. Yukari looks up in return, eyes hazy. Mitsuru shakes her head for a moment before taking in Yukari's form before her. Her eyes catch the sight of a familiar mark on Yukari's chest. She can't help but reach down place her hand over the terribly familiar soulmark.

_The present is all we have._

Yukari blinks a few times then shrieks as she comes back to her senses. “Mitsuru-senpai!” she screams as she clambers backwards, hitting the glass door behind her.

With a wince, Mitsuru shuts off the water as Yukari scrambles out of the shower. She doesn't say a word as she averts her eyes as Yukari dries off quickly and pulls her uniform back on. Yukari dashes out of the bathroom in a rush and only then does Mitsuru dry off and dress herself.

After a few minutes of regaining her composure, Mitsuru exits the bathroom, running a towel through her hair. “Takeba...” she begins and stops when Yukari shakes her head.

“Let's not talk about this,” she says firmly. “It had to be another shadow. It's getting twenty arrows in the face.”

Mitsuru nods. “Yes, agreed,” she replies quietly.

 _“I found you! Mitsuru-senpai, Yukari-chan, the others are waiting for you on the third floor,”_ Fuuka's voice suddenly echoes in their heads. _“There was another shadow, and it interfered with my communications. I'm so sorry, senpai.”_

“It's quite all right, Yamagishi,” Mitsuru says, clearing her throat. “This second shadow is much more powerful than the first, it seems. None of us were expecting it.”

“Yeah, you did fine, Fuuka!” Yukari chimes in. “We're ready to take down this shadow, so don't worry. Just back us up like always!”

_“Of course, Yukari-chan! I think Minato-kun is finding a way back into the room, but it seems he and Junpei are almost finished. They'll have access to the room shortly, so please hurry.”_

“Then let's head out,” Mitsuru decides as she heads out of the room, Yukari following behind.

* * *

None of the group say a word when they meet up, and there's an air of tension that hasn't plagued the group before. But once they have access to the room the shadow resides, they all easily fall in sync with ruthless strikes and brutal accuracy. 

The shadow disappears with a pained screech after Minato lands the killing blow, and the tension from earlier returns with a vengeance. “Good job, team,” Minato says as he runs a hand through his hair. 

Junpei snorts. “Right,” he says sarcastically. “More like the mighty hero saves the day again. And you weren't even affected by the shadow earlier!”

Minato frowns. “Not as affected, but everything was still kinda foggy,” he corrects, shaking his head. “Do you really want to have this conversation here, Junpei?”

“Actually, you're right, oh genius leader, I don't,” he bites out before he stalks away from the group and disappears down the stairs.

Yukari sighs. “I'll chase after him,” she offers quickly. “I'll grab Fuuka on the way.”

After Yukari jogs out of sight, Minato glances over to his senpai. “I think we'll be avoiding Tartarus for a few nights,” he states. “If anything happened with you guys, sort it out before then.”

Leaving his senpai behind, Minato heads downstairs to leave the hotel and head back to the dorm. He predicts an awkward next couple days, and Minato's not looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Minato and Junpei are paired off, but Minato breaks the Lovers shadow's thrall before anything can happen. Shinjiro feels something's off, but he and Akihiko do end up in bed together. Shinjiro throws Akihiko off the bed when breaks free of the voice's persuasion. Mitsuru and Yukari end up striping each other and getting into a shower together. They kiss and touch until Mitsuru notices her soulmark on Yukari's chest and breaks the moment. Soon after, the team defeats the shadow, but awkwardly ignores each other as they go their separate ways to go back to the dorm. Minato has some concerns.
> 
> Sorry if the summary isn't the best. I hope those who do read it enjoy it. Let me know what you like so far! It's been about a month since I started posting this fic, and I enjoy all your comments and kudos. Thank you so much. <3


	7. Chapter VI: Test of Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minato dreads tonight's meeting. Elizabeth helps him take his mind off it. Afterwards, Yukari has a much needed girl talk with Fuuka to get things of her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter an Elizabeth cameo. I hope to have more of her, since her dynamic with Minato is fun. Enjoy, guys!

Minato looks down at his cell phone. There's a text from Akihiko about a meeting tonight with Ikutsuki and the others. He's not looking forward to having everyone in the same room, so to kill some time, he takes Elizabeth to Naganaki Shrine.

The clink of coins continuously pouring into the offertory box catches his attention. He wonders where she possibly gets all these coins, but Minato decides it's another thing he doesn't want to think too hard on. He has a feeling the answer may be all the yen he pays Elizabeth for persona fusion.

“...I have finally finished presenting my offering,” Elizabeth says cheerfully as she snaps her strangely endless coin purse shut. “Do you wish to supplicate for good fortune? You seem troubled.”

“I'm fine,” Minato tells her, a bit surprised Elizabeth's noticed his low mood in her excitement.

Elizabeth hums in reply as she notices the paper fortunes. “Perhaps these paper fortunes will bring you the good tidings you sorely need.”

Minato follows her as she starts rifling around for a paper fortune. “Elizabeth, what are you...” he begins to say then notices she's pulled two strips of paper, handing him ones. “It doesn't work this way.”

“I find a little improvisation seems to work well for humans,” she says as she pours some coins into the small box set up for the paper fortunes until it's almost bursting from the sheer amount of coins. “Hmm, mine says 'fair luck'. I was led to believe these revealed grand fortunes or terrible misfortunes.”

“Where do you get your information, exactly?” Minato asks as he unfolds his own fortune. “Hmm, 'bad luck'. Well, it could be worse.”

“Oh my,” Elizabeth gasps, taking his fortune. “Tie it over here quickly.”

He humors her and ties the fortune next to her own. “My fate was sealed before this fortune, you know,” he jokes as Elizabeth taps her lips.

“It's true. You did not offer any supplication to the shrine. It must be punishing you for it. Quite a vengeful shrine, don't you think?” she questions as they walk away from the fortunes.

“Not exactly how it works, Elizabeth...” he protests, but he can tell her attention has been pulled elsewhere as she stares at the playground.

As if hearing his thoughts, Elizabeth books it for the playground equipment; he follows quietly after her with a sigh. “If memory serves, these are a slide and a jungle gym,” she announces proudly. “Hmm, you must teach me how these work.”

Minato decides a practical demonstration works best with Elizabeth, so he climbs up the slide's ladder then slides down. Elizabeth nods vigorously and scrambles up the ladder herself. After he gets out of the way, Elizabeth slides down herself as if on a skateboard. Hiding a chuckle, Minato knows he should have expected as much.

“What great fun... And a life lesson as well. To enjoy luxury, one must claw their way to the top,” she proclaims as she eyes the jungle gym. “Now, instruct me on the use of the jungle gym.”

It doesn't take long to show Elizabeth how to climb, but soon enough, she gets herself trapped in the middle of the jungle gym. “How did you even...” Minato says as he tries to help her contort her way out. “Watch your head.”

Elizabeth ducks and bends, and eventually, she frees herself. “Thank you, Minato. You are an ever so gracious tour guide. I believe my master would have frowned upon me taking residence inside a jungle gym,” she says cheerfully. “However, if one were to not think of collateral damage, I could have opened the compendium to blast this jungle gym to many, many tiny pieces...”

“Please keep thinking of collateral damage when you do things, Elizabeth,” Minato agrees quickly as she laughs.

“You are not the first to say that to me,” she replies then pauses in thought. “Though, I rather prefer hearing it from you than my sister. She nags me about the silliest things.”

“She might have the right idea,” he teases her.

Elizabeth pouts. “You have yet to meet her, yet you take her side? This may mean war.”

“Hey, I don't think you've looked over here yet,” Minato says, distracting her by pointing to the bike racks.

Luckily, it works, and Elizabeth climbs up and walks across the horizontal bar with precarious grace. “Oh yes, this requires quite a lot of balance. I wonder if my master will install one if request it...”

“Let me know what he says,” he requests of her as he reaches out his hand to help her hop down.

She takes his hand, and he leads them over to some nearby benches. “I've quite an enjoyable day,” Elizabeth says thoughtfully. “Though, I've begun to wonder, is it the novelty of the world, or my time spent with you that makes it so wondrous?”

“Can't it be both?”

Elizabeth thinks on it, and Minato sees her smile grow wider. “Yes, both must be it. Minato's wondrous world!” she exclaims then tilts her head. “Yet, I believe you've had something else on your mind. I think for all our excursions, I would call us friends. I've heard friends don't keep worries from their friends.”

Minato blinks, surprised yet again by Elizabeth's perceptive observations. “It's a long story...”

“I have all the time in the world! I believe that's the phrasing, but I can have all the time in the world, if need be,” Elizabeth tells him earnestly.

“Maybe not that much time...”

He explains to her that his last full moon ordeal ended awkwardly for everyone involved. Mainly, Junpei's jealous of him again, but it's the first time since they found out they were soulmates. It's a strain he's still unsure of how to deal with, not to mention Shinjiro's started avoiding him as well. 

The others all seem to be tiptoeing around each other, and the last few nights at the dorm have been tense. Minato doesn't think more than two of them have been in a room at the same time since the last full moon, but with the meeting Ikutsuki's calling tonight, that avoidance will have to end.

Minato knows it's best this way, but he can't think of any way this meeting won't end badly. “It is a test of your bonds! You must persevere, and you will triumphant over any challenge!” Elizabeth exclaims boldly.

“Have you been watching Phoenix Ranger Featherman R?” Minato asks, her words sounding strangely familiar.

Elizabeth beams. “Oh yes, I was able sneak a portable television into the Velvet Room! My master has yet find out about it. It's quite enjoyable, and I find it very relatable.”

“Even though I know that line is from a kids' show, I kinda hope it'll work out that way...” Minato states as he looks up to notice the setting sun. “I need to head back for a test of my bonds.”

“Of course! Without a doubt, you'll triumphant and grow even stronger!” she exclaims excitedly as she stands up and pulls him to his feet. “Now, go go Phoenix Ranger!”

Minato chokes on a laugh as he tells her goodbye. As he jogs down the steps, her quoted words echo in his head. He has no choice but to triumphant over any challenge tonight.

* * *

Fuuka wishes she hadn't been the first to arrive for tonight's meeting. She likes being on time, and being early can only be better. Except now, Fuuka notices all her teammates avoid each other as they enter the room. She knows something no one will talk about happened at the hotel. It's obvious by the way Junpei steers clear of Minato, Shinjiro and Akihiko give each a wide berth, and even Mitsuru shies away from Yukari. Fuuka can't even bring up Mitsuru directly in conversation with Yukari without her getting flustered.

Speaking of Yukari, she looks determined even she avoids catching Mitsuru's gaze. “Yukari-chan...” Fuuka begins, but when Minato finally enters the room, Ikutsuki starts the meeting before she can question her.

Mitsuru fields the questions he asks about the mission, and Fuuka worries her lip. The answers are true, for the most part, but she seems to be skirting around something. It's not something she wants to raise questions about, but it's nagging her.

But before she can think of what to say, Yukari interrupts the meeting instead. “I'm sorry. Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something.”

Mitsuru looks quite surprised. “Me...?”

Fuuka did expect Yukari to bring up her findings about the incident surrounding the school ten years ago, but she hadn't thought it'd be at this meeting. Yukari begins to explain what she and Fuuka have found, and it doesn't take long for her to start blaming Mitsuru. Ikutsuki tells them it's not Mitsuru's fault, but she stops him and tells them what she knows.

What Mitsuru tells them is more detailed then anything Fuuka found during her search. She and Yukari can't help but ask questions. Everything leads to more questions, but Yukari's are definitely more pointed and taking aim at Mitsuru instead of really getting the answers they need. She even turns on Akihiko.

“You knew too, didn't you, Senpai!? They've just been using us! Or, do you not care as long as you get to fight?”

Fuuka wants to say something, but her senpai beats her to it. “Don't talk about things you don't understand, Takeba,” Shinjiro cuts in with a glare to match Yukari's own.

Akihiko looks away from both of them. “I have my reasons...” he states firmly.

“Think what you like,” Mitsuru speaks up, sounding resigned. “It was my choice not to divulge this information. I did what was needed to have persona users to beat back the shadows. That's my priority. My intent wasn't to deceive any of you, and for that, I'm sorry.”

The words don't soothe Yukari's anger. “How could you...!?”

Mitsuru looks away. “Besides... Some of us never had a choice...”

“Mitsuru, don't,” Akihiko warns, looking none to pleased with Yukari.

Luckily, Ikutsuki derails everything with his words. He explains that those in the past are to blame. Fuuka watches the anger drain from Yukari as she sits down. She tries to say something else, but Ikutsuki continues about other information he's put together from the data collected from the past few missions.

The Dark Hour can be ended by defeating these shadows during every full moon, twelve in total, and they're half way there. Fuuka's elated by the news, and she sees that so are her friends. Enough to forget, for a moment, whatever hard feelings had formed a few nights ago.

“Yukari-chan? Can I talk to you for a bit?” Fuuka asks as the room starts to clear out.

Yukari pauses, biting her lip as she waits for the other to leave the room. “Fuuka...”

“I don't want to overstep, but don't you think you were overly harsh to our senpai? Mitsuru-senpai in particular?”

“You're not overstepping,” Yukari replies as she sags into the console chair. “Hindsight is 20/20, right? I didn't even think that she didn't have much of a choice either...”

Fuuka nods, putting a comforting hand on Yukari's shoulder. “At least everything's out in the open,” she points out. “And we know how to end the Dark Hour! That's something, isn't it?”

Yukari smiles. “Yeah, that's great. I don't want anyone else to get dragged into this or get hurt by the Dark Hour... But...”

“But?”

Glancing at the door, Yukari heads over to the door then checks if anyone stuck around before locking the door behind her. “Okay, none of this leaves this room, okay? Serious girl talk.”

Fuuka's brows furrow. “Of course, but what's wrong, Yukari-chan?” she questions, pausing for a moment. “Is this about the tension on the team? Something else happened while everyone was out of contact during the full moon, didn't it?”

“I don't know about what everyone else experienced,” Yukari begins, her face heating up as she sits back down, “but I definitely ended up in an awkward situation with Mitsuru-senpai...”

“Awkward...?” Fuuka asks then gasps. “Oh, the Lovers shadow! Everyone was paired up... Oh no...”

Yukari cringes. “Yeah... Let's just say... I never thought I'd know what Mitsuru-senpai looks like in the shower.”

“Oh gosh!” she replies in shock, face reddening. “I mean... At least it wasn't Junpei-kun?”

“Why would you even say that, Fuuka!” Yukari exclaims with a shudder. “I mean, yeah, at least it wasn't one of the boys, but... Everything was so foggy, and we were kissing-”

“You kissed Mitsuru-senpai!?”

“Or she kissed me? I can't remember! We weren't in our right minds!” Yukari rubs a hand over her face. “This is so embarrassing. If we hadn't snapped out of it... I remember being on my knees? I've never done anything like that before!”

“You were under the shadow's control, Yukari-chan,” Fuuka reassures her. “So was Mitsuru-senpai. I'm sure she's feeling just a flustered about the situation as you are.”

Yukari nods as she takes in a deep breath then lets it out slowly. “I guess you're right. No reason to dwell. It didn't mean anything...” She pauses then shakes her head. “Except, now I know that Mitsuru-senpai is a really good kisser? Which is kinda surprising, because she's always so all work, no play.”

“Maybe...” Fuuka begins. “Maybe you're thinking about it so much because you like Mitsuru-senpai?”

“Of course I like Mitsuru-senpai. Just because I didn't trust her doesn't mean I hate her,” Yukari replies easily then jolts to her feet when she notices what she just said. “What am I saying! Oh god...”

Fuuka reaches out for Yukari. “Yukari-chan, it's okay to like girls...” she says quietly.

“I know that!” Yukari exclaims then shakes her head. “I do know that, but it's Mitsuru-senpai! I mean, she's gorgeous, intelligent, graceful... Oh god, I think I like Mitsuru-senpai. What the hell, Fuuka, I can't like Mitsuru-senpai! I just tore into her tonight! I didn't even apologize! And she's seen me naked! Fuuka, this is seriously not good!”

“One thing at a time,” Fuuka soothes as she pulls Yukari in for a hug, petting her hair. “First, breathe. Then we'll figure out how you'll apologize to Mitsuru-senpai.”

Yukari sighs in relief. “You're the best, Fuuka. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise,” she says as she hugs Fuuka back.

Fuuka flushes pink, giggling nervously. “I won't,” she promises with a smile. “How about I take your mind off Mitsuru-senpai for a bit? I have some news...”

“Oh?” Yukari questions curiously. “Tell me. We can figure out my apology after. Distract me.”

“Well, Moriyama-san and I made a study date for next week,” she tells Yukari quietly. “With exams coming up, there's definitely studying but maybe there was a little emphasis on the date part?”

Yukari pulls away from the hug, looking excited. “Oh, Fuuka! Your first date with your soulmate! You have to let me help you pick out your outfit!”

Fuuka smiles, nodding shyly. “Nothing too...out there, Yukari-chan,” she warns. “We're definitely getting some studying done.”

“Of course, of course,” Yukari replies, waving her hand dismissively. “But maybe you should start calling her by her first name for your first date?”

“Oh! ...I guess that is a bit awkward when she calls me by my given name...” Fuuka agrees thoughtfully. “I'll ask permission tomorrow.”

“You're so cute, Fuuka,” Yukari declares with a mischievous grin. “Asking permission to call your girlfriend 'Natsuki'.”

“Yukari-chan, don't tease!” she exclaims with a pout. “Or else I'll have to tease you about Mitsuru-senpai.”

Yukari scrunches her nose as Fuuka giggles in response. “I think I'm a bad influence on you...”

“Maybe, or maybe I just never had friends to tease before,” Fuuka points out. “Hmm, now for Mitsuru-senpai's apology...”

Groaning, Yukari leans back in the console chair. Fuuka smiles as she goes over some tried and true apologies. Yukari listens and adds her thoughts, but she's unsure if any of these will work. Yukari just hopes whatever she does, it doesn't blow up in her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was going to have everyone getting to have a bit of a talk about what happened at the love hotel because it's a bit traumatic and awkward, but it would have been a 6k word chapter, so I split it. Hopefully, it still works that way. <3
> 
> In other news, I'm curious about my tagging. I tagged a lot of platonic relationships, and maybe the romantic ones get lost in the scuffle? What do you guys thing? Did I overtag? Is there even such a thing with a fic that's going to be hitting 20k in two weeks? I love hearing from you guys. <3


	8. Chapter VII: Identity Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitsuru and Akihiko have a talk. So do Minato and Junpei. Shinjiro almost escapes having a talk by stress baking; he doesn't succeed.
> 
> (AKA: S.E.E.S. members explore a spectrum of identities.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I got my copy of PQ2 on early? (Thanks, Amazon?) And I almost forgot to post this morning because I was so enthralled. I love when characters in the same world who haven't met before interact. PQ games make me so happy in that respect. <3
> 
> Another long chapter! I hope you enjoy. There's definitely a reveal that a few commenters have been intrigued about, so I hope it's satisfying!

Mitsuru keeps her composure until she closes her bedroom door behind her. Then she crumples onto her bed like a marionette with cut strings. She's glad there's a way to defeat the Dark Hour, but Mitsuru wishes the revelations could have gone a bit better. It's not like she hadn't been aware of the fact Yukari was wary of her, but Mitsuru hadn't been aware it had been this bad.

There's a knock on Mitsuru's door, and she knows it's Akihiko. “Akihiko, I'm fine,” she says.

“Yeah, that's not true,” he replies as he opens the door. “You should lock that if you didn't want me to come in.”

With a sigh, Mitsuru sits up to give Akihiko a halfhearted glare. “Most people have common courtesy to not enter a room where they're not wanted.”

Akihiko snorts as he sits on Mitsuru's bed. “Mitsuru, I think we've known each other long enough to know when we're bullshitting each other. I'm not treating you with kid gloves. We both know you'd hate it if I did.”

“Fine,” she replies. “Takeba's words got to me tonight. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“No, but I figured that's what happened,” Akihiko says, as he looks her over. “She had no right to come at you like that.”

“No, she had every right,” Mitsuru disagrees. “We've been lying to them, Akihiko. Takeba just put what happened together first.”

“What if she did? That seemed personal, Mitsuru.”

She frowns. “Perhaps...” Mitsuru trails off, looking anywhere but at Akihiko.

“C'mon, Mitsuru. You've got something to say, then say it. I've got your back; you know that,” he reassures her.

“Perhaps she's angry at me about what occurred during the full moon operation...” Mitsuru says quietly.

Akihiko scrunches his nose. “You never told me what happened between you two.”

Mitsuru snorts inelegantly as she gives Akihiko a pointed look. “Ah, yes, like you never told me what happened between you and Shinjiro.”

The words hit their mark, and Akihiko's face flushes pink. “That's not what we're talking about right now. We're talking about you and Takeba.”

“If I tell you what happened, you will tell me what happened with Shinjiro,” Mitsuru counters, raising an eyebrow. “Don't tell me nothing. Tonight's meeting was the longest I've seen you two in a room together for the last few days.”

“Fine,” Akihiko grumbles. “What happened with Takeba?”

Mitsuru clears her throat. “We were under the thrall of the Lovers shadow, and I may have...stripped Takeba and pulled her into a shower.”

“Holy shit...” he says, between choked laughter. “I didn't think you'd be so blunt about it.”

“I'm unsure of how else to put it,” Mitsuru defends herself as Akihiko grins, and she shoves him. “Neither of us were in our right minds, and I may have...seen her soulmark.”

Akihiko's eyes widen. “Then you know?”

Mitsuru narrows her eyes in suspicion. “Know?” she questions,and Akihiko won't look her in the eye. “Did you know? That Takeba is my romantic soulmate?”

“I had strong suspicions,” he confirms, holding his hands up in defense. “A few months ago in Tartarus, Junpei wanted us to share our soulmarks. Yukari showed us that one. I didn't want to bring it up in case I misremembered your other soulmark. It's not like anyone ever sees your back. I figured you two would figure it out eventually, since we live in the same dorm.”

“Fair, I suppose,” Mitsuru relents. “However, we're at an impasse. She must feel violated, and Takeba never seemed very fond of me to begin with... Maybe this soulmark is just not meant to be romantic.”

Akihiko snorts and shakes his head. “And we're meant to be romantic? We had our moment, remember? Sure as hell wasn't romantic.”

“Far from it,” she agrees. “But perhaps it's just a missed moment. Soulmarks aren't a perfect system. My parents weren't soulmates, but they learned to love each other.”

“Give it some more time,” Akihiko offers as he claps a hand on her shoulder. “I think you and Takeba just keep assuming each other's feelings. At least, you definitely are.”

“I concede, that perhaps, I have no idea what Takeba could be thinking, but it can't possibly be anything complimentary,” she replies as she glances at Akihiko. “I'll give it time, but now I'd like to know what happened with Shinjiro.”

Akihiko cringes. “I was hoping that you'd be too distracted with your Takeba situation to remember...”

“I'd never be too distracted to help you with your boy problems, Akihiko,” she says solemnly, and she doesn't laugh until she sees Akihiko's face scrunch up more.

“I wish you wouldn't call it that,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his head. “Shinji and I... Uhh...”

Mitsuru covers her mouth to hide her chuckle. “I found being blunt to be the best option.”

“I think we sort of had sex?” Akihiko says in a rush, and Mitsuru's eyes widen in shock. “I mean... It was really foggy, but I definitely felt his-”

“Akihiko!” she exclaims in embarrassment. “I don't need those kind of...details.”

“You asked for those details!” he replies, flustered. “I'm not sure what happened, and I only snapped out of it when he threw me off the bed.”

Mitsuru pinches the bridge of her nose. “All right, I suppose I did.” She pauses, confused. “How does one 'sort of' have sex? Either you did, or you did not.”

“Shinji snapped out of it midway? Also, I'm not sure if rubbing against each other really counts as sex when I'm not sure if he...finished? Ugh, this is why I didn't want to talk about this! This isn't a problem I can punch or train to overcome.”

Contemplating Akihiko's words, Mitsuru hums. “I think you needed to talk about this, Akihiko,” she states. “Both you and Shinjiro have been dancing around your soulmarks for as long as I've known you. Perhaps what happened that night isn't something to be punched, but you can overcome your doubt about talking to him about your soulmarks.”

“Tch,” Akihiko shakes his head. “He'll just shutdown. It's what he did when I brought it up when I found out you and I had matching soulmarks, Mitsuru. I wanted to let him find his own pace.”

Mitsuru shakes her head. “Shinjiro's pace tends to be nonexistent if it's something he wants to avoid,” she points out. “I don't know his hang ups, but I've known you both for two years. Let yourselves be happy instead of being so stubborn.”

“I'll try, all right?” Akihiko concedes. “I can't promise it won't end in knockout, drag out fight, though.”

“Ugh,” she groans as she rubs her forehead. “If it ends in a fight, but he acknowledges your romantic soulmark, I'll allow it. You'll both be cleaning up and repairing any collateral damage.”

Akihiko laughs as he stands. “Of course,” he agrees.

Mitsuru stands as well, crossing her arms. “This includes any dorm beds broken in the process.”

“Mitsuru!” Akihiko exclaims, ears turning red. “You are a menace. Why did anyone ever think you were my romantic?”

She chuckles. “They're too heteronormative,” Mitsuru replies easily. “People construe romantic to be the strongest, truest bonds, and that platonic are lesser by comparison. They are incorrect, of course.”

“Yeah, sounds about right,” Akihiko says with a grin. “I better get going. Leaving a girl's room at night might look suspicious.”

“I'd be more suspicious of you leaving Shinjiro's room in the middle of the night,” Mitsuru replies cheekily. “However, that would imply you two have gotten over yourselves, so perhaps not.”

“Good night, Mitsuru,” Akihiko says loudly, pretending he did not hear her.

Mitsuru chuckles. “Good night, Akihiko. Remember what we talked about.”

“You too,” he shoots back. “You deserve good things.”

Flustered, Mitsuru shuts her door, hearing Akihiko laugh in the hallway. She smiles as she locks her door then gets ready for bed

* * *

Minato catches Junpei before he can lock himself in his room. “Hey, can we talk?”

Junpei shrugs him off, about to close a door in Minato's face. “I don't really want to talk to you, man. Take a hint.”

“Then I'm not asking. We need to talk,” he replies as he keeps a foot in the door. “If we get this out of the way, you can get over whatever the hell your hang up is.”

“My hang up-!?” Junpei sputters as Minato slips inside and closes the door behind him. “You don't know when to quit.”

“Never learned how to,” Minato quips as he rests his thumbs in his front belt loops. “I just want to go back to before that shadow messed with us. We're friends, right?”

Junpei throws his hat onto his bed and scrubs his hands over his hair. “Ugh, fine, we'll talk about it, but if you make fun of me, I'm whacking you with my baseball bat.”

“I can agree to those terms,” he replies as he leans against Junpei's desk. “So, what's the problem?”

“Argh, it's that you're too calm about this!” Junpei shouts in frustration. “Dude, that shadow was screwing with us, and I almost jumped your bones! Like, if you hadn't smashed that mirror...”

Minato shrugs. “So? It wouldn't have gotten that far,” he says confidently. “From what I saw, I don't think that the shadow was able to make us do anything outside our natural inclinations.”

Junpei's face scrunches up. “What the hell's that supposed to mean?”

“It means, if it couldn't make us have sex if we didn't want to,” Minato says plainly.

“So, what I wanted to bang my best bro? I'm straight, man!”

Minato sighs. “I'm not scrutinizing your sexuality, Junpei. I'm saying I wouldn't have let it happen. There's no reason to-”

“Oh, so our great, fearless leader is so above his urges,” Junpei interrupts, rolling his eyes. “Or what, you're so straight that it didn't affect you at all? That sounds like you're implying something.”

“No, I'm not. Stop jumping to conclusions.”

“Am I really jumping that far? You're always better than me. Even at being straight!” he exclaims then cringes. “I mean, it's just a thought or two, so what? We're surrounded by hot people. Seriously, not my fault if I think about it!”

Minato blinks. “Junpei, it's not-”

“And everyone is just so good at what they do! It's frustrating but also really hot? Why does that not affect you at all? Why does none of this affect you?”

“Because I'm ace!” he shouts then goes very quiet as he sags against Junpei's desk.

Junpei's rant derails itself. “What...?”

Taking a deep breath, Minato looks Junpei straight in the eyes. “I am asexual. Maybe aromantic too, to be honest. I'm not affected because I just don't get it. I can find people aesthetically pleasing, I guess, but I'm not really sure why people are so crazy about getting laid. It doesn't appeal to me.”

“Oh...” Junpei says quietly as his mouth hangs agape. “...shit.”

Minato laughs mirthlessly. “Something like that,” he agrees. “You're my platonic soulmate. Shinjiro-senpai is also my platonic soulmate. I'm sorry that you guys got a broken soulmate.”

“Dude, you're not broken!” Junpei jumps to his defense immediately. “Yeah, I mean, I don't know shit about this ace or aromatic shit, but it doesn't make you broken.”

“Aromantic,” Minato corrects quietly, a small smile on his lips. “You're the first to say that.”

Junpei shakes his head. “Shinjiro-senpai would agree with me! You're not broken, man. Just different. I mean, we already knew you were different, leader,” he says confidently as he strides over to Minato and musses his hair. “We're a collection of weirdos. And that's fine.”

“Yeah,” he agrees as he bats at Junpei's hand messing up his hair. “You know that goes for you too.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, it's okay to like guys, too,” Minato points out, holding up his hand when Junpei tries to protest. “It's called bisexuality. Or pansexuality. Depends. You can find the label that fits you best. Or not. I found ace fit me best.”

Junpei swallows thickly, looking away from Minato. “Yeah, well, let's not tell anyone outside this room, okay? I'm not... I can't even get a girlfriend. Let's not add another pool of people out there that wouldn't date me.”

“I'd date you,” Minato offers. “You're attractive, but I have a feeling you're allosexual, and that wouldn't work out in the long run, probably”

“Okay, I understood the date part of that sentence, but what?” Junpei asks, looking perplexed.

Minato pushes himself away from the desk to drag Junpei to the desk chair. “Okay, we're teaching you some terminology.”

“Dude, that sounds like a study session. I did not sign up for this.”

“Deal with it,” Minato replies as he opens up Junpei's laptop. “This is for your own good, and for the sake of our friendship, you need to know it.”

Junpei sighs over-dramatically as he types in his password and logs onto his laptop. “Fine, as long as we're cool, and you get it out of your head that you're not broken.”

Minato shrugs. “We're cool, man,” he replies, ignoring the rest of his words as he brings up an internet browser. “Now, allosexual versus asexual.”

* * *

Shinjiro wishes for a moment that he had followed Akihiko to make sure Mitsuru was okay after the onslaught of blame Yukari piled on her tonight. The other part of him decides that he doesn't want to get in the way of Akihiko's time with Mitsuru. Of course, he also doesn't want to be alone in a room with the both of them. Mitsuru is too perceptive, and Akihiko would likely blurt out what happened a few nights ago in that hotel room.

Remembering the hotel room makes Shinjiro feel warm, so he takes off his beanie. He sighs as contemplates the shit he'd get if he went out without telling anyone. Shinjiro figures it's not worth it as he makes a beeline for the kitchen instead of the front door.

Stress baking is not usually the first answer when Shinjiro wants to ignore an issue. Then again, he hasn't had access to a fully stocked kitchen in a long time, so he figures falling back on something he's good at isn't a bad idea. A few hours later, there's a castella cake cooling on a rack, a container of anpan, and a tray fresh from the oven of melonpan.

“Did the dorm get a bakery?” Yukari asks as she enters the kitchen with a look of awe on her face. “Shinjiro-senpai, is that castella?”

Shinjiro huffs as he steps to the side to give Yukari room to grab a piece if she wants. “Yeah,” he replies curtly.

Yukari groans unhappily. “Oh, this is so bad for my diet, but it's right there,” she bemoans as she still grabs a plate and serves herself a piece. “I knew you could cook, but baking too, senpai? This is the best and the worst at the same time!”

“Tch, interesting version of a compliment, Takeba.”

She shrugs in response as she takes a bite of castella then makes a pleased sound. “Oh my god, this is so good,” she says happily as she takes another bite. “Oh, I definitely needed this.”

Shaking his head, Shinjiro starts cleaning up everything he used to bake. “Need the energy to rag on Mitsuru some more?” he asks, his question anything but innocent.

Yukari flinches in response, and she sets down her plate with a frown. “I... I know I was out of line earlier,” she says quietly. “I'm working on my apology, but I'm going to give it a day or two. I wouldn't want to hear from anyone who was hurtful as I was tonight.”

“Good, but Mitsuru won't hold a grudge,” Shinjiro states, staring her down. “But she will find a way to make it her fault. Don't sit on that apology too long.”

“I won't!” Yukari replies, nodding. “Maybe I could try tonight... It is late, though...”

“Nah, Aki went up there earlier. They're probably busy,” he tells her bluntly.

Frowning, Yukari picks her plate back up. “You sure? That'd be hours ago...”

“Soulmates can definitely get caught up,” Shinjiro points out as he turns away to start putting away the melonpan; he doesn't want to think about Mitsuru and Akihiko right now.

“I mean, Fuuka and I can talk for hours too, but...” Yukari trails off, taking a bite of castella. “Speaking of soulmates, what's up with you and Akihiko-senpai? You guys are always so in sync, so it's so jarring when you guys are avoiding each other.”

Shinjiro frowns, turning back to Yukari. “None of your business, Takeba.”

Yukari huffs before eating her last bite of castella. “Well, whatever your reasons are, they're stupid,” she tells him, her words unwavering even as he narrows a glare at her. “C'mon, senpai, are you guys going to keep ignoring each other? Okay, you won't tell me the why, but tell me, do you think Akihiko-senpai is going to keep this up?”

“Hah, he's avoiding me too, remember,” Shinjiro replies with a scoff. “Just concentrate on apologizing to Mitsuru. Anything else isn't your concern.”

“Fine, but I bet Akihiko-senpai won't last a week,” Yukari says as she puts her plate in the sink. “He likes punching his problems, so I think that must translate into facing everything head on.”

Rolling his eyes, Shinjiro snorts. “More like he will punch a problem if he thinks it'll work,” he tells her. “So, I predict a brawl will be his answer.”

Yukari frowns. “I hope not. Use your words, senpai,” she warns before yawning. “Mmm, I think I'll head to bed. Have a good night, Shinjiro-senpai! Thank you for the castella.”

“Good night, Takeba,” Shinjiro replies as she disappears upstairs.

Shinjiro thinks over Yukari's words as he finishes cleaning up and putting away the sweets he baked. She has a point, as much as he loathes to admit it. Akihiko's always been easy to read, so it doesn't surprise Shinjiro that their kohai have him figured out. 

Yukari's right in saying Akihiko will confront him rather than avoid him for more than a week. Shinjiro hates that she's right, but he decides as he heads up to bed, that he'll have to figure out how to handle the confrontation when it comes. He can't see a good outcome, but Shinjiro decides to sleep on it instead of overthinking the situation.

Before he can make into his room, Shinjiro sees Minato leaving Junpei's room. Minato notices him and gives him a wave before yawning. Shinjiro replies in kind, and Minato shuffles off to his room without a word. 

Seeing Minato reminds Shinjiro of another wrinkle in the situation with Akihiko. He hasn't told Minato what happened the other night in the hotel. Not that they have said anything about their relationship per say, Shinjiro figures he should tell his soulmate that he almost had sex with his other soulmate. Is it cheating if you haven't officially talked to your soulmate about anything?

The reality of his life becoming a soap opera waiting to happen gives Shinjiro a headache, and he decides to take some ibuprofen with his new medication Mitsuru's doctors gave him. It starts to help as he collapses onto his bed after getting into his pajamas. Shinjiro drifts to sleep after some tossing and turning, the past few days catching up to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ace!Minato reveal complete! This story started as an AkiShinji soulmate AU then evolved, when I was thinking about how I wanted to handle Minato. He definitely gives me ace vibes, and I thought it'd be interesting to go into that in a soulmate AU. Especially since most soulmate AUs are super about the romance.
> 
> And now that this chapter is post, I have at least one ace!Minato ficlet in the works. I figured if I posted it, it might give away the intrigue for this fic. The intrigue I was surprise I managed, so thank you, readers, for enjoying my fic so far! <3


	9. Chapter VIII: So Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer break is almost here, Akihiko and Shinjiro duke it out, and S.E.E.S. is introduced to a potential new member. Sounds like summer vacation is off to an interesting start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've hit over 500 hits and 30+ kudos on this fic. Thank you so much, readers. <3 I really appreciate all of you. We've reached over 20k words with today's chapter. Enjoy, guys!

It's the day before final exams, less than a week until summer break, and Minato finds the rest of his teammates in the lounge, not talking to each other. Mitsuru isn't looking Yukari's way while Yukari bites her lip, looking up to catch Mitsuru's gaze. Similarly, Shinjiro won't make eye contact with anyone, but Akihiko seems to be ready to start a fight with him.

“Anyone have plans for summer break?” Fuuka speaks up, breaking the tense silence, and Minato is so thankful for how brave she's become.

Junpei lights up. “Beaches and babes, please and thank you!” he announces, earning a disgusted look from Yukari. “Hey, that's a very judgey look, Yuka-tan. Can't tell me you wouldn't enjoy the beach? Clear water... White sands...”

“Maybe, but I wouldn't be a perv about it,” she counters then sighs. “I dunno how you can even think about vacation yet. We haven't even started out exams yet.”

“Ughhh,” Junpei groans, dramatically draping himself over the couch. “Why'd you have to remind me?”

Fuuka gives Junpei a sympathetic smile. “There, there, Junpei-kun. I'm sure everything will work out,” she says. “Hmm, though I wouldn't mind a nice beach. Somewhere like Okinawa?”

“Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?” Ikutsuki asks as he enters the lounge.

Mitsuru jolts to attention. Minato frowns for a moment; he wonders if she didn't know he'd be in tonight, and Ikutsuki explains his surprise appearance. He also mentions that Mitsuru's father will be staying at the vacation home as well.

“Yes! Beach babes, here I come!” Junpei shouts happily as Yukari rolls her eyes.

“...I don't want to ruin my father's vacation,” Mitsuru adds quietly, but Ikutsuki assures her that wouldn't be the case.

“Sounds like fun,” Minato points out. “It'll be interesting to meet your father as well, Mitsuru-senpai.”

Mitsuru smiles in reply. “It's decided. We're all going to Yakushima,” she states, her eyes falling to Shinjiro.

“Tch, I guess,” he reluctantly agrees. “Doesn't mean I'm hitting the beach. Your summer home has fancy kitchen, right, Mitsuru?”

“You'll have to fight the staff to cook in them,” she warns as she stands up. “I'm sure we can arrange something.”

Shinjiro seems content as the rest of the team gush about bathing suits, swimming, and the beaches. Mitsuru slips away, and Yukari follows shortly after. Before Mitsuru can head upstairs, Yukari stops her.

“Mitsuru-senpai? Can I talk to you for a moment?” Yukari asks sheepishly, and Mitsuru nods in response. “I wanted to apologize for the other night. I was out of line. I got carried away, and I didn't even think about seeing it from you're point of view. I'm really sorry.”

“...it's all right, Takeba,” she replies with a soft smile. “I understood your reason. And well, it only makes sense we go to Yakushima now. I said there was no one alive accountable for the accident, but that's not wholly true. One witness survived.”

Yukari blinks at the sudden turn in conversation. “Who?”

“My father,” Mitsuru responds as she turns away, walking upstairs.

“Senpai...” Yukari murmurs, conflicted about following her upstairs, but decides to join the others in talking about their plans for summer vacation at Yakushima.

* * *

Long after the members of S.E.E.S. go their separate ways to study or prematurely start packing for their summer vacation, Shinjiro heads to his room. He had lost track of Akihiko while his kohai had needled him about getting a swim suit. When he enters his room and finds Akihiko sitting at his desk, Shinjiro scowls and wishes he had kept better track of Akihiko earlier.

“Breaking into rooms now?” he asks, displeased that he must not have locked his room earlier.

Akihiko shrugs. “It was open,” he replies flippantly, confirming Shinjiro's mistake.

“No one tell you an unlocked door isn't an invitation?”

“Mitsuru has, but I think you both know me well enough by now that I'm not going to give up just because I'm being given the cold shoulder,” Akihiko points out as he rolls one of his shoulders. “We're going to talk about last week.”

Shinjiro scowls. “Nothing to talk about,” he states as he pulls off his beanie.

“Tch, we both that's not true,” Akihiko retorts with a sour look. “I know it's awkward, but we can't just avoid each other forever. We're best friends, aren't we? Soulmates.”

“Do you really wanna hash this out?” Shinjiro asks in frustration. “Don't you think it was awkward enough when it happened?”

“Yeah, but I can't stand us not talking!” he exclaims, a bit flustered. “You're finally back, and you won't even stay in the same room as me.”

“You avoided me too, dumbass,” Shinjiro points out.

“I'm done avoiding the issue,” Akihiko says with determination in his eyes. “Are you going to man up, or are you going to keep hiding like a kid?”

Shinjiro growls as strides toward Akihiko and grabs him by the front of his shirt, dragging him to his feet. “You're the one calling me a kid? You barge into my space and demand answers I'm not giving. Who's really the kid in this situation?”

“We're both kids then,” Akihiko replies as he shoves Shinjiro away. “Would you rather we had this talk with out fists? Because I'm sick of this bullshit, Shinji.”

“Come at me,” Shinjiro states with a sneer.

Akihiko throws the first punch for his face. It's his usual starting gambit in their scrapes, nothing like how Akihiko is in a boxing match. Shinjiro manages to dodge and aim a punch for Akihiko's gut. It hits, but as two people who have known each other almost their whole lives, Akihiko knows Shinjiro's moves as well. 

Letting the hit land, Akihiko grabs onto Shinjiro's arm, and the whole fight crashes to the ground, devolving into a wrestling match. They grapple on the ground, knocking over the desk chair. Shinjiro tries to get the upper hand with a headbutt, but Akihiko manages to duck. Taking the opening, Akihiko manages to pin Shinjiro face first onto the floor, arm twisted behind his back.

“Yield,” Akihiko grunts, and Shinjiro tries to break free instead. “I'm not moving, and you're not breaking my hold, Shinji. Don't think I haven't noticed you're eating less. You've been looking a bit...”

“Sick? Just a summer cold,” Shinjiro replies as he stops struggling with a frustrated growl. “Are we going to have this conversation like this, or are you going to let me up?”

Akihiko's grip doesn't waver as he take a moment to think of his answer. “If I let you up and you avoid everything, I'll just pin you again,” he promises.

Shinjiro rolls his eyes. “Fine,” he agrees reluctantly. “Let me the fuck up, Aki. You're heavy as shit.”

Letting go of his grip, Akihiko backs off and lets Shinjiro get to his feet. “So, we kinda had sex, and you don't want to talk about it.”

Shinjiro chokes on his reply, coughing a bit. “For fuck's sake, Aki,” he curses as he glares at Akihiko.

“We could have eased into this conversation,” Akihiko reminds him. “I've been told blunt sometimes is best.”

“Blunt is definitely your style,” Shinjiro agrees as he takes in a deep breath then lets it out. “'Kinda had sex'? Is that what we're calling it?”

Akihiko flushes red but soldiers on. “I guess? What would you call it? We were both enjoying it...” he trails off, running a hand over his face. “I mean, I did...”

“Yeah, I felt that you enjoyed it,” Shinjiro states, running his hand over his own reddening face. “We weren't really in control, were we? Who's to say we actually enjoyed it?”

The words make Akihiko fall silent for a long moment. “...I have an idea.”

Shinjiro's eyes narrow in suspicion. “What?”

Without another word, Akihiko steps forward. Shinjiro blinks as he's caught off guard by Akihiko pressing his chapped lips to his. For a moment, he forgets himself and kisses back. It's nothing like what happened at the hotel. Akihiko takes control, and Shinjiro knows this feels right.

Except a small voice in the back of his head telling him that he needs to talk to Minato. That snaps him out of it, and Shinjiro pulls back abruptly. Akihiko looks at him with wide eyes as Shinjiro won't meet his eyes.

“...I need some time,” he says quietly as Akihiko frowns, looking like he's about to protest. “Aki, I need to think some things through. I can't do this.”

Akihiko stares him down before sighing. “Right, I can see you're not backing down,” he says before making his way to the door. “Just don't avoid me anymore? I won't push you, unless you keep avoiding me. Then we'll have to fight again.”

Shinjiro snorts then gives Akihiko a weak grin. “Fine,” he agrees. “Get out of my room and get to bed, Aki.”

“Good night, Shinji,” Akihiko says then leaves the room without another word.

Shinjiro sighs after the door closes and collapses onto his bed. “Goddammit, Aki,” he mutters into his pillow.

He needs to talk to Minato, maybe even Mitsuru, but Shinjiro thinks the latter will end in his execution. The whole situation is exhausting, and Shinjiro decides to handle it tomorrow.

* * *

Junpei whoops happily as he, Yukari, Fuuka, and Minato exit the school for the summer. “Yessss, exams are over!”

Yukari rolls her eyes. “I don't know why you're so excited. You said you only passed P.E.”

“Ah-ah-ah, Yuka-tan!” Junpei chides with a finger wagging in her face that she smacks away. “I don't know my grades, so I can be blissfully unaware until next semester.”

Fuuka frowns. “I usually have a feeling of how I done after I finish an exam,” she says quietly.

Minato nods. “Same,” he agrees then shrugs. “Let Junpei have his fun. It'll all come crashing down later.”

“Oi, Minato!” Junpei says, shoulder checking his friend. “That's really backhanded, bro.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes blandly, but Junpei isn't buying it at all.

“Fuuka!” Natsuki calls out as she runs over to the group, interrupting Junpei's retort.

“Natsuki-chan,” Fuuka responds with a smile. “What's wrong?”

Yukari covers her mouth to hide a giggle, getting a curious look from Minato. “Ahh, can we study together again? I might need to take an exam over, or I'll have to go to summer classes!” she says in a panic. “Oh! You're going 'home' home today, aren't you?”

Fuuka shakes her head. “It's okay. I'll help you out,” she replies then turns to the other then flushes a little under Yukari's knowing stare. “I'll be back later. Umm... Sorry, guys.”

She takes Natsuki's hand, and they head back into the school. “Wow, Fuuka-chan's changed so much,” Junpei says in awe.

Before Minato can ask Yukari about it, Akihiko jogs down the front steps. “Hey,” he greets. “Did well on your exams?”

Minato gives a strong affirmative while Junpei laughs. “That's a problem for next semester!” he announces.

Yukari shakes her head in exasperation. “Well enough, senpai,” she replies instead of trying to get Junpei to care about his grades. “You?”

“Just fine,” he says as he looks past them. “Ikutsuki-san wanted to meet us. Something about a new candidate.”

“Is another person going to join?” Yukari questions, her brows furrowed.

“...maybe.”

Before Yukari can ask anymore questions, Ikutsuki comes over, Amada Ken trailing behind him. “Oh, Ken-kun!” she says surprise. “Hey there.”

“Hello, Yukari-san,” Ken greets politely, nodding to Junpei as well. “Hello to you too, Junpei-san.”

Junpei grins. “Hey, kid!” he greets happily then thinks for a moment. “Wait...”

“You guys know him?” Akihiko questions.

Yukari grins. “Yeah, sometimes we see him at the shrine on Sundays.”

“With his current circumstances, I thought it best for him to stay at your dorm for the summer,” Ikutsuki interrupts, shocking the whole group.

“Is that wise, Ikutsuki-san?” Minato asks carefully as Yukari nods in agreement.

Ikutsuki explains the situation better, about Ken's circumstances lending to him staying at the dorms alone for the summer. His mother died two years ago, and his distant relatives pay for his schooling. Ikutsuki adds that Ken as the 'potential'. The group seems worried by this.

“Then he's the new candidate...” Akihiko surmises quietly, catching Ken's attention.

Ken walks over to him and stares; Akihiko shifts on his feet. “...are you Sanada-senpai?”

Akihiko nods. “Uh, yeah.”

“I've heard a lot about you,” he says, brightening instantly. “You've never lost a boxing match!”

“Yeah, uh...” Akihiko replies awkwardly. “Nice to meet you...”

Ikutsuki leaves with Ken shortly after, letting the group know Ken would start living at the dorm after they come back from Yakushima. Akihiko let's out a breath of relief after they leave, catching Minato's attention as they all walk home together.

“Are you not good with kids, senpai?” Minato asks quietly as he falls back to walk with Akihiko as Yukari and Junpei argue ahead of them.

Akihiko frowns. “Not exactly,” he says, hedging the question then sighs. “It's a long story. Remember why Shinji left S.E.E.S. originally?”

“Yeah,” Minato replies, and after a short moment passes, things start to click into place. “Amada's mother...?”

“The same,” Akihiko confirms. “Tch, I'm not mad at the kid, but it's going to make a difficult situation for Shinji.”

Minato nods. “And for Ken-kun, if he finds out...” he trails off, shaking his head. “I'm not sure what the best course of action would be, senpai.”

“Neither do I, Arisato,” Akihiko says, shaking his head. “Luckily, the kid won't be staying with us until after our trip. That gives us some time...”

“Hey, Minato-kun, Akihiko-senpai! You guys okay?” Yukari calls out, stopped a few feet ahead of them, head tilted to the side.

Akihiko claps his hand on Minato's shoulder for a moment. “We'll figure this out later,” he tells him before catching up with the others. “Just had something to tell Arisato. No need to worry, Takeba.”

She doesn't seem to buy it as Minato catches up to them. “Hey, Yukari, I forgot earlier, but what's up with with Fuuka and Moriyama?”

Yukari coughs, not meeting Minato's eyes. “N-nothing! Why would there be anything up? Ahahaha...” she says, laughing nervously. “Minato-kun, really, why would I know anyway?”

Minato raises an eyebrow as he crosses his arms. “Because you're platonic soulmates,” he says bluntly.

“Well...” she trails off as Akihiko walks by her. “Just because we're soulmates, doesn't mean we know everything about each other!”

“Hey, Junpei!” Minato shouts, catching Junpei's attention from much further down the street.

“Yeah, bro?” Junpei calls back.

“What color underwear am I wearing today?” he asks loudly making Akihiko snort and Yukari bristle at the question.

“What the hell, Minato-kun! What even kind of question is-”

“Blue with white polka dots!” Junpei replies then starts laughing when he notices Yukari staring at him with wide eyes. “Dude, Yuka-tan, your face is priceless right now!”

Yukari turns on her heel back to Minato. “You-! How did you two even-?” she sputters unhappily.

Minato shrugs. “I'm proving a point,” he tells her. “Sorry, it was a bit crass, but don't pretend you don't know what's going on with Fuuka.”

With a point upon sigh, Yukari runs a hand over her face. “Okay, I do, but it really isn't my place to say.”

“And if you said that, I would have backed off,” Minato points out teasingly.

“You are terrible,” Yukari huffs. “Why does Junpei even know the color of your underwear?”

“I ran out of clean underwear and borrowed a pair,” he replies nonchalantly as Yukari makes a face. “You asked, Yukari. We're guys.”

Yukari sighs in defeat. “I should have known better than to ask,” she says. “Let's catch up with the others. I think you have some laundry to do before you can start packing for the trip.”

“...you have a point,” Minato concedes as they head back to the dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt bad writing mid-chapter because my otp got into a fight. 
> 
> EDIT: Well, damn. This end note was longer. I thought I HTML a link in here, and I hella didn't? SO, I made a google form; [answer a few questions for me](https://forms.gle/NvtvTYU91QG7QDsv6), that would be awesome. <3


	10. Chapter IX: Hard Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off to Yakushima! Shinjiro finally gets his talk with Minato! Junpei gets to see everyone in swimsuits! ...Yukari doesn't get good news. Two out of three isn't bad, right, S.E.E.S.?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make chapter summaries interesting. Don't mind me. I'm still unused to posting a continuing, chaptered fic weekly. I'm enjoying it, though. I hope you guys enjoy it too!
> 
> (I got another 100 hits this week! That's such a quick jump. <3 Thanks to everyone coming to see my fic. Hope everyone sticks around!)
> 
> Also, I put a google forms survey in the last chapter, and I'm going to have it in the end notes of this chapter as well. ...mainly because I didn't notice until mid-week that I had actually lost half my end notes including the link. Ugh.

They're on a boat to Yakushima, and Shinjiro still hasn't managed to get a moment to talk to Minato in private. He'd forgotten about end of term exams. That meant before the trip, Minato didn't have any free time, and Shinjiro wasn't going to derail his studying.

It doesn't help that he's noticed Akihiko seems troubled about something. Shinjiro wishes he didn't have a sixth sense in tune with Akihiko's moods, but if he's nearby, Shinjiro can't help but notice if he's upset or riled up. He adds talking to Akihiko to his list of things to do on this trip, after he talks to Minato.

“Fuuka-chan, so what's up with you and Moriyama, huh?” Junpei asks loudly, interrupting Shinjiro's thoughts.

“Uhhh...” Fuuka stammers, face turning pink as Yukari gets ready to jump down Junpei's throat.

“Oi, Iori, don't bother the girls,” Shinjiro speaks up, and Junpei jumps in his seat.

Junpei laughs nervously. “Man, Shinjiro-san, I didn't even notice you were here.”

Yukari rolls her eyes. “Stupei, you need better situational awareness.”

“Hey!” Junpei protests, and Shinjiro just shakes his head.

“Do you know where Arisato went off to?” he asks, derailing Junpei's attempts at self-defense.

“Umm, I think he's on the upper deck, senpai,” Fuuka replies quietly.

“Thanks, Yamagishi,” Shinjiro replies with a nod before leaving his underclassmen to their own devices.

In a stroke of good luck, he finds Minato on his own when he heads up to the upper deck. “Hey,” Shinjiro greets, receiving a wave in return. 

“Hey, Shinjiro,” Minato says, looking out to the sea. “We're almost to Yakushima.”

Shinjiro grunts in agreement as he watches the waves for a moment. “Mind if we talk in private? I have something to tell you.”

Minato pulls his gaze away from the sea and blinks curiously at Shinjiro. “Yeah, sure,” he agrees amicably. “Mitsuru-senpai mentioned some cabins on the lower deck.”

“That should work,” Shinjiro says as he let's Minato lead the way.

The walk to the cabins is silent. Shinjiro mulls over how to broach the subject he wants to talk about. It's been almost two weeks since the last full moon mission, but he doubts anyone's quite put it behind them yet. Shinjiro definitely hasn't, as much as he'd like to. Everything became more complicated after that night.

“Senpai?” Minato breaks him out of his thoughts, holding an open door. 

Shinjiro makes a face. “Told you not to call me senpai.”

Minato shrugs as they enter the room. “You weren't paying attention,” he points out. “That's not like you. What's on your mind?”

“Get right into it,” Shinjiro mutters before clearing his throat. “I wanted to talk to you about the last full moon operation. Ain't been any other time to talk to you about it.”

“Ahh,” Minato replies, pushing his bangs back only to have them fall in front of his face again. “It was a mess of an operation. I should have noticed sooner there was a second shadow.”

Shinjiro snorts. “I'm not mad about that. None of us knew. Just wanted you to have all the facts, since we're...soulmates,” he tells him awkwardly.

“I guess that makes sense,” Minato says with a nod. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I don't need to know. But I'm here if you want to talk about it. None of us were really fully in control that night, even if that shadow worked with latent desires.”

“Wait, latent desires?” Shinjiro asks, his whole speech derailed. “You're saying we wanted what happened?”

Minato shakes his head. “What I gathered, the Lovers shadow amplified desires that already existed,” he explains, biting his lip for a moment before continuing. “For example, when I was able to stop the situation because the shadow didn't have any hold over me.”

Shinjiro's brows furrow. “How?”

“Well, I...” Minato begins then takes a deep breath. “I'm asexual. I had no latent desires of those nature, so the shadow had nothing to work with. I'm sorry I didn't mention this before... It's not an easy topic, when I don't know how people will react.”

“That makes sense,” Shinjiro says, unsure about quite a few things now. “Then...”

“Then?” Minato prompts when Shinjiro trails off.

“It's not a problem,” he states decisively.

Minato smiles slowly. “Thanks, Shinjiro,” he replies. “It's hard to bring up, so I'm glad that it's not a problem. I've always felt a little weird, since I think I'm aromantic as well. With soulmates being such a seemingly strict binary... Having two platonic soulmates is pretty unheard of...”

Shinjiro freezes, his brain repeating the words 'two platonic soulmates'. “Wait, what?”

“You and Junpei are both platonic soulmates for me?” Minato offers as he takes in the confusion on Shinjiro's face. “Did you not...know?”

“I thought...” Shinjiro trails off as his eyes widen in horror. “Then, Aki's my...”

“Shinjiro, you didn't know Akihiko-senpai's your romantic soulmate?” he asks incredulously. “You've known him all your life!”

“And we never had our moment, so I just thought I was a shit best friend, all right!” Shinjiro exclaims as he collapses onto a nearby chair. “Fuck...”

“Then... Did you think I was your romantic?” Minato surmised curiously. 

Shinjiro shrugs. “I thought it made sense,” he says quietly. “We'd just met. Thought feelings and shit would come later.”

“What about Akihiko-senpai?” Minato presses. “You didn't talk to him about it? Haven't you known each other forever?”

“If you haven't noticed, Arisato, we tend to use our fists over our words,” Shinjiro says pointedly, pulling his beanie over his eyes with a sigh. “Shit, I fucked up.”

Minato places a hand on Shinjiro's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Whatever happened, I'm sure it'll be fine,” he says soothingly. “Akihiko-senpai doesn't really seem the type to hold grudges very long.”

Shinjiro sighs. “He's not,” he agrees. “Me and Aki might have...messed around that night because of the shadow. If everything you say is true, that was what we both wanted? If Aki's wanted me all this damned time, why not say something?”

“Because you're both stubborn morons with your own reasons?” Minato teases, and Shinjiro pulls his beanie up just to glare at him. “Look, I can't tell you what Akihiko-senpai's thinking, but I can say that you should think about how you feel, now that you have all the facts.”

“Right,” he says, letting his head fall back on the chair. “Thanks....Minato.”

Minato smiles softly. “I'll leave you alone, so you can get your thoughts in order,” he says as he heads for the door. “I'll let you know when reach land, okay?”

“Yeah,” Shinjiro grunts in reply.

Before he opens the door, Minato turns around. “Good luck, senpai!” he announces cheerfully with a grin before bolting out the door.

Shinjiro sits up in the chair with a scowl. “You little shit-!”

* * *

Yukari stares at the entrance of the Kirijo vacation home in awe. “Whoa.”

“I knew Mitsuru-senpai's family was well-to-do, but this is...” Fuuka agrees, trailing off as the maids greet Mitsuru.

“Welcome home, milady,” one of the maid greets with a curtsy.

“Real life maids,” Junpei sighs wistfully.

Rolling her eyes, Yukari elbows Junpei. “I'm sorry about him,” she says to one of the maids who leads them to their rooms, splitting up the guys and girls between two different maids. “I never got your name?”

The purple haired maid smiles as she leads Yukari and Fuuka to rooms down the hall. “Kikuno, miss,” she replies as she gestures to the rooms. “There are spare swimsuits and other clothing if you need them. I prepared the rooms once Mitsuru-sama informed me of your arrival. Enjoy your stay, Yukari-san, Fuuka-san.”

After Kikuno leaves, Yukari glances are her room before following Fuuka into hers. “Oh my god,” she says with a gasp as she falls back onto the plush bed in front of her. “This is amazing. Fuuka, we're vacationing in a _mansion_.”

Fuuka giggles as she falls back onto the bed next to Yukari. “It's very overwhelming,” she adds then hums. “But not in a bad way.”

“Definitely,” Yukari agrees with a happy sigh. “I don't think I want to get off this bed, but I bet the beaches are gorgeous.”

“Shall we try on the swimsuits Kikuno-san left for us?” Fuuka asks, and Yukari sits up excitedly.

“Yes!” she exclaims as she and Fuuka go through the various, expensive swimwear in their suites

* * *

“Beaches and babes! Babes and beaches!” Junpei exclaims as he runs across the beach. “Where are the girls? Bet their swimsuits are chooooice!”

Akihiko scoffs. “You better tone that down when they get here, or Mitsuru will execute you,” he points out, stretching his arms above his head. “Damn, there're no markers. I wanted to do an endurance swim.”

Junpei dramatically sighs as he turns back to his friends. “Senpai, your priorities are skewed-” he cuts himself off when he notices Akihiko's speedo and t-shirt combo, his face turning pink. “W-what the hell kind of swimsuit is that!”

Minato tries and fails to bit back a laugh as Akihiko looks affronted. “Any other swimsuit would slow me down in the water,” he states, crossing his arms.

“It's not for Shinjiro-senpai?” Minato chimes in, and Akihiko blushes indignantly.

“He's not even coming out to the beach,” Akihiko replies. “He said something about trying out the kitchen. We won't see him until dinner, probably.”

Junpei whistles. “Oh man, Shinjiro-san cooking with everything at his disposal? We're eating well tonight!”

“What are you shouting about, Stupei? We could hear from down the other side of the beach,” Yukari says as she, Fuuka, and Mitsuru show up in their swimsuits.

Then Junpei immediately gets himself in trouble with the girls. Minato shakes his head as his best friend decides to grade the girls' swimsuits. It goes about as well as anyone on the beach besides Junpei expects it to go. Luckily, he gets tongue tied over Mitsuru, and the girls gush over her flawless skin instead.

“Did you put on sunscreen yet?” Yukari asks Mitsuru, who blushes and shakes her head in response.

“N-no, not yet...”

“I'll help you out, senpai!”

Akihiko smirks at Mitsuru, turning away before she can notice to head into the water for a swim. Junpei watches the girls leave them with a forlorn sigh. It's just him and Minato in middle of the beach now.

“Man, why are all our senpai and the girls so hot?” he bemoans, and Minato laughs. “You're the worst friend, you know that? Stop enjoying my pain!”

Minato grins, an attempt at innocence that fails. “Well, at least you were spared Shinjiro-senpai?” he offers with a shrug.

Junpei groans. “You're the worst.”

“Yep,” Minato agrees as he nudges Junpei with his elbow. “Let's take a swim.”

“I'm going to dunk you so hard, man,” Junpei says decisively as they run for the water.

“I'd like to see you try!” Minato replies as the splash into the water together, and the water fight begins.

* * *

Shinjiro decides he's not letting a soul know that he thinks getting dragged into this trip was completely worth it for the amazing kitchen. Akihiko wouldn't let him hear the end of it, and neither would his kouhai. Mitsuru would just give him a knowing look, and that would almost be worse.

Everyone's full and happy, and for now, that's good enough for Shinjiro. It doesn't last long, however. When Mitsuru's dad drop some heavy news in their lap about Yukari's dad, the night goes to shit. Yukari runs out, and it takes a moment before anyone knows what to do.

“Mitsuru, maybe you should go after her,” Akihiko speaks up, giving her a rather pointed look.

“I'm not sure she'd want to hear from me,” Mitsuru replies.

Fuuka shakes her head. “I think you'd be someone she'd want to hear from, Mitsuru-senpai,” she says quietly. “Though, I won't promise she won't say something hurtful. Yukari-chan can lash out when upset.”

Mitsuru chuckles mirthlessly. “Yes, I've definitely been on the receiving end of that.”

“Then you can handle it,” Shinjiro adds with a smirk, trying to urge Mitsuru to try.

“I guess if you think so, Shinjiro,” she replies, slightly sarcastic before taking a deep breath. “I'll return with Takeba. Don't stay up on our account.”

“Thank you, senpai,” Fuuka says before she and others head to their rooms.

Mitsuru heads down to the beach after asking Kikuno which way Yukari ran. It's a short enough walk, and she finds her staring out to the ocean. Unsure how to start the conversation, the choice is taken away when Yukari notices her.

“Oh, Mitsuru-senpai,” Yukari says with a sniff, wiping her face quickly. “I didn't think you'd be the one to follow me.”

“Neither did I, to be honest,” Mitsuru replies truthfully as she approaches her. “I won't ask if you're okay. Clearly, there were a few revelations. I didn't know the full extent of them.”

“I always thought my dad had done everything right, and that everyone else who thought badly of him had been wrong,” Yukari begins. “They were just rumors, after all. Just a reason for people to pick on a single mother and her daughter.”

Mitsuru frowns. “I'm sorry... I wish the Kirijo Group had provided better support.”

Yukari snorts. “Don't worry, Mitsuru-senpai, we were well provided for, monetarily,” she explains. “It doesn't stop the rumors. We moved a few times because of it. It's why I only came back to Iwatodai recently. I wanted the truth. ...I guess I got it.”

Mitsuru listens without saying a word. “And then I got my persona, and I thought it was fate, you know?” Yukari continues. “You're a Kirijo, and I saw it as a way in to find out what happened. Then I find out, and I still can't believe it...”

“I don't believe his intentions were bad,” Mitsuru says quietly. “I believe, at a certain point, there was a point of return. He may have reached it before he knew it.”

Yukari nods. “Yeah,” she murmurs. “He sent a letter for his family to open ten years later, but it was really all for me. It's what made me believe he was innocent. I wonder if he wrote before it all went so wrong...”

“I truly believe, from what we saw in that video, that he cared deeply for his family,” Mitsuru states firmly. “And believe me when I understand wanting to help clear your father of his past deeds.”

“It's funny, but... I thought, why my father and not yours,” Yukari tells her, lowering head with a sad chuckle. “It's a really terrible thing to say, huh?”

“Maybe, but I don't blame you,” Mitsuru says, crossing her arms. “In your situation, I'd probably think the same. We're both protective of our family.”

Yukari makes a face. “How're you always so put together? I could never be so calm all the time!”

“Ask Akihiko. I'm not always so composed,” she counters, shaking her head. “I've just had a lot of practice. It's a practical skill, but it may not be the best coping mechanism.”

“Whatever you say, senpai,” Yukari says with a snort. “Well, thanks for coming after me. I just needed to rant. I think we can head back now...”

Mitsuru smiles softly. “I almost sent Arisato,” she admits as they begin to walk away from the beach.

“He wouldn't have let me mope at all,” Yukari muses, following her senpai up the path towards the mansion. “I'm kind of glad you came, even though we're still kinda bad at talking to each other.”

“I thought it went well enough,” Mitsuru says teasingly, and Yukari giggles softly.

“Maybe,” Yukari tells her. “I won't get over this anytime soon, but I think my dad wouldn't want me to dwell too much. So I'm going to continue to fight, to fix what he unleashed on the world.”

“Glad to hear it, Takeba.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's that google form survey I mentioned!](https://forms.gle/NvtvTYU91QG7QDsv6) It's just a few questions about what you guys are enjoying about the fic. I do plan to write some side fics in this universe, but your input on what characters and ships your enjoying would definitely help me decide what I should tackle first. <3


	11. Chapter X: Getting Up to Nonsense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Operation: Babe Hunt A.K.A. Akihiko, Why Are You Like This? Boy can't turn down a challenge. At least Shinjiro has his back. Minato is just amused and feels bit like someone's watching him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone for commenting on the fic and the questionnaire from last chapter as well as kudos, subscriptions, and bookmarks this time around. I'm overwhelmed by all the awesomeness from my readers. <3 This week was a really hard work week, so seeing my fic getting so much love really, really helps. <3

Minato plays along with Junpei's 'babe hunt'. He's unsure why Akihiko plays along as well, but he assumes Akihiko has a hard time passing up a challenge. Even one that clearly isn't a good idea. Shinjiro agrees.

“Aki, you're a moron,” he states, clad in bermuda trunks, a hoodie, and sunglasses. “Why are you encouraging Iori?”

“He has a point, senpai,” Minato adds.

“Tch, I'm not backing down from a challenge,” Akihiko replies heatedly, glancing at Shinjiro. “I thought you weren't coming to the beach today, Shinji.”

Shinjiro snorts and jerks his thumb towards Minato. “He told me you were getting up to nonsense.”

Akihiko rolls his eyes. “You worry too much.”

“Hey, babes are waiting, guys!” Junpei announces with a huge grin.

Minato sighs and follows Junpei down the beach. He hears Shinjiro sigh as well, and Akihiko falls into step with Junpei. They find a few ladies sunbathing, and it goes as well as Minato expects. Junpei takes point in what he's unfortunately named 'Operation: Babe Hunt'. Minato's just glad he knows Shinjiro's suffering with him.

“H-hey, wait-!” Junpei stutters as the ladies leave, unimpressed with him.

Akihiko doesn't even hide his snort of amusement. “Good job, Iori.”

Junpei glares at Akihiko, waving his arms. “Then you do better! You're so good at tactics, right? There's more ladies down the beach.”

“I will,” Akihiko replies with determination.

Minato catches Shinjiro's exasperated look as they follow their idiot soulmates down the beach. “How fast do you think Akihiko-senpai will get shot down?” Minato questions.

“Not quicker than Iori, but not much better,” Shinjiro predicts, earning a scowl from Akihiko.

“If you're so knowledgeable, Shinji, then be my wingman! I'll set the pace, of course,” Akihiko adds when Junpei looks like he's about to protest.

Shinjiro snorts. “I'm not saying I'm any good at this,” he points out, but he doesn't seem to protest as he sullenly follows Akihiko to the ladies sunbathing.

Minato tries not to laugh as he watches his senpai head over purposefully to the beach-going ladies on the beach. It doesn't seem to be going as poorly. Akihiko has the looks of the group, and Shinjiro has the height. Unfortunately, Minato can't hear them, but a feeling of being watched pulls his attention away.

He blinks as he turns around, looking into the wooded area by the beach. “Hey, man, you're missing the show. I don't think Akihiko-senpai's doing any better than me,” Junpei cuts in, and Minato looks back to see their senpai walking back to them.

Akihiko has a sour look, but Shinjiro is definitely holding back a laugh. “I can't believe you thought talking about protein and work out routines would woo them.”

“Hey, protein's important to a healthy diet and building muscle-”

“Yeah, not if it's the only thing you eat, moron,” Shinjiro interrupts, crossing his arms.

Junpei leans over to whisper in Minato's ear. “It's like watching a married couple.”

Minato snorts and gives Junpei a nod. “Definitely.”

“Well, I guess we all struck out,” Junpei states with an overdramatic sigh. “My vacation, ruined.”

“I'm sensing a favor I'm not going to like in this,” Minato says with suspicion.

Junpei grins widely, throwing an arm around Minato's shoulders. “Bro, I know you don't care much about this, but please, at least one of us should bag a lady.”

Shinjiro's eyes narrow into a glare. “You're telling him to lead someone on, Iori? Am I hearing that right?”

“Okay, maybe that wasn't the best phrase...” Junpei backtracks. “...all right, now thinking about this, it could only lead to trouble if our charismatic leader gets all the chicks. Yeah, nevermind, new plan. Uhhh...”

“You don't have a new plan,” Shinjiro says pointedly as Junpei chuckles nervously.

“Let's see who can swim the fastest,” Akihiko chimes in with a gleam no one else in the group is prepared for. “I found marker we can use for races. It'll be great training!”

Junpei groans as Shinjiro sighs. “That's one way...” 

Akihiko smirks. “Think I'll beat you, Shinji? Guess a little swim is too much of a challenge,” he taunts.

“Tch,” Shinjiro grunts then sheds his sunglasses and hoodie. “Bring it.”

Minato collects Shinjiro's things as he and Akihiko run into the water. “I knew Akihiko-senpai was competitive, but I didn't think he could drag Shinjiro-san into it so easily,” Junpei says in awe as he and Minato decide to watch the swimming race rather than join.

* * *

“This walk was such a good idea, Fuuka,” Yukari says with a happy sigh, enjoying the sun filtering through the trees.

“It's a good break from the beach,” she agrees before frowning. “The beach got a bit uncomfortable yesterday...”

Yukari groans. “Stupei does know how to ruin things,” she says, scowling a little.

“I wish he wouldn't,” Fuuka adds taking in a deep breath. “Mmm, let's enjoy the fresh air. Can't do this in Iwatodai, right, senpai?”

Mitsuru nods, about to add something when her phone rings. “One moment,” she apologizes as she answers. “Mitsuru speaking. ...what? We're currently separated from the other. It might take some to- Ah. Of course, chairman. We'll start searching once we're all together. Thank you.”

Yukari and Fuuka give Mitsuru matching looks of curiosity. “A combat vehicle of some sort has gone missing from the nearby Kirijo compound-”

“A tank!?” Yukari exclaims as Fuuka gasps.

“An anti-shadow weapon. That was all the information the chairman provided,” Mitsuru explains. “Let's find the others and formulate a plan of attack.”

Yukari takes out her cell phone. “Let me try call Stupei and Minato-kun,” she says.

“Maybe my persona scan the island, but it would be easier if I had a description or perhaps a starting location,” Fuuka muses.

“I can provide more information. We should retrieve our equipment back at the manor,” Mitsuru agrees as Yukari snaps her phone shut in frustration.

“Ugh, neither of them are picking up,” she groans.

“We'll find them on the way,” Mitsuru says firmly. “Let's go.”

* * *

She got away from the facility. The scientists will be in pursuit soon; however, she has not found the reason she woke. Something familiar, someone to protect. That's what woke her. She must find him and protect him at all costs.

“Hey, h-how's it going?” a stuttering voice says behind her. “My name's Ju-junpei.”

Turning mechanically, she blinks at him. “Ju-junpei?” she repeats evenly.

Junpei makes a chuckling sound, and she can tell he seems nervous. “I just wanted to talk. Nothing weird,” he says in a rush. “Are you here all by yourself?”

“I am looking for someone,” she states, her eyes scanning him quickly. 

“Huh?”

“You are not the one.”

He turns away, and she wonders what to do about finding her someone. She doesn't get much time to wonder as another human arrives to speak with her. He asks her about the ocean, and he is also not the one. She quickly tells him so.

Alone again, but still not for long. “I'm sorry about my friends,” another boy says as he approaches her.

She stays quiet as she scans him as well. “One of them's a bit girl crazy, and the other one has a competitive streak. Sorry we bothered you, miss.”

It is him. “You are...” she begins, but she soon notices the scientists looking for her through the tree behind the beach. “Initiating evasive maneuver. Confirmation must be made at a secure location...”

She flees down the beach and into the forest, away from the direction the scientists went in. Soon, she notices that she is being followed by the someone she's been looking for. Ducking behind signpost down the path, she watches him approach.

“I was correct... I have found you,” she states, garnering a look of confusion from her someone.

“Found me?” he questions, brows furrowed. “You ran away, so didn't I find you?”

She blinks, processing the information. “I have been searching for you,” she informs as she quickly steps forward into his space. “My highest priority is to be with you!”

Others approach them. Two are the boys that tried to speak with her earlier, joined by another of their age. She's found her someone; everyone else is irrelevant to the current situation. Unless they plan to take him away, and she steps closer to protect him.

“Man, you didn't even try! What is this!” the one called Junpei exclaims.

“I don't get how he even...” the white haired boy from earlier says.

A brunet standing next to him snorts, covering his face with his hand. “None of you can talk to women,” he mutters.

She decides the human boys are not a threat. Human girls join, and so does a man she recognizes to work with the scientists. The girls talk, but she keeps her eyes trained on the tan suited man. When he speaks, she listens to his words.

“You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis.”

* * *

After the briefing about her, Minato slips away to speak with Aigis. She's not hard to find, because it seems she's sneaked into his room. He has a feeling this might turn into a reoccurring thing. Luckily, a few months being the field leader for S.E.E.S., Minato's used to having quirky teammates.

“Aigis, right?”

She turns to him. “Minato-san,” Aigis greets him. “I found your sleeping quarters in the manor. I will keep you safe while you sleep.”

Minato huffs a small laugh. “You're something else, Aigis,” he tells her. “You don't have to watch me sleep.”

“I must protect you,” she repeats.

Thinking for a long moment, Minato sighs. “Fine, but stay here, and I'll go change in the bathroom.”

Aigis smiles, in an almost human way. “I will wait here for you, Minato-san.”

Minato awkwardly gives her a nod before grabbing his pajamas from his overnight bag and slipping into the adjacent bathroom. He thinks he should be more troubled by someone wanting to watch him sleep, but with the Pharos appearing over him some evenings, Minato feels immune to being creeped out about it. He's sure Yukari and the others will feel differently.

When he returns, Minato yawns as he heads for bed. “Do you sleep?”

“I do not require sleep,” Aigis replies. “I require occasional maintenance, but I do not need any as of now.”

“That's good, I guess...” he says he flops onto the bed. “I'll see you in the morning then, Aigis.”

Aigis nods, pleased. “Sleep well, Minato-san. I will keep you safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, from my little google form questionnaire, I noticed a lot of people were hyped to see Aigis. Here she is. She gave me a bit of trouble, because early on Aigis is a bit hard to write. I do like a challenge, so we'll see how it goes.
> 
> Also, those who voted in to what smaller fic I should work on the side, [I posted the Minato/Ryoji ace fic last week](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19152799), if you guys didn't see it. I'll try to work on the FeMC remix of this fic, but I think that fic needs more fleshing out before I start it. BUT I should have a FeMC soulmate AU type fic in the works. I have a few ideas.
> 
> EDIT: [Interlude: Guilt](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19287229) is a small ficlet that's between this chapter and the next. It didn't fit in the flow of the fic, but it's a small important bit, I feel. <3
> 
> And last note, I am going to admit I'm no longer ahead a chapter for this fic. It shouldn't be a problem yet, but I'll let you guys know if there's going to be a delay in posting. Thanks for sticking with me. I'm really enjoying this fic. <3


	12. Chapter XI: Been Waiting for This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aigis gets a cooking lesson. Minato tell Shinjiro to get his shit together. Surprisingly, Shinjiro AND Akihiko get their shit together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Shinjiro and Akihiko-centric chapter featuring Aigis and Minato. Rest of the cast will be around next chapter, probably. <3

Everyone returns from Yakushima more or less relaxed from their beach vacation. Shinjiro knows he should be, but once back in Iwatodai, he has a doctor's appointment. If Mitsuru hadn't talked him into these appointments, he'd be in a back alley tonight, getting his pills from Jin.

He's glad he doesn't have to deal with those shady assholes anymore, but Shinjiro hates the fact he has to regularly get poked by Kirijo doctors. He'll admit that the pills he has now are helping a bit more with a few less side effects, but it doesn't mean he likes them.

Luckily, being a high school drop out means Shinjiro can keep his appointments a secret from the others. As he returns from a rather exhausting round of tests, Shinjiro remembers he's not actually alone in the dorm now. The robot girl is in the lounge, watching the front door. It's a bit jarring, to say the list.

“Uh, hey, Aigis,” Shinjiro greets awkwardly, unable to hide how tired he is just from his morning appointment.

“Hello, Shinjiro-san. You look exhausted,” she states, and it's easy to tell she's a robot by her speech. “It is unusual for humans to be this exhausted so early in the day. Did you not sleep well?”

“Tch,” Shinjiro clicks his tongue then sighs. “Been out. Are you waiting by the door for the others to come back from school?”

Aigis tilts her head curiously then nods. “Yes. I was not permitted to join Minato-san and the others, though I wished to.”

Shinjiro snorts a laugh. “Yeah, well, you'd stick out like a sore thumb with how you talk.”

“That is what Yukari-san implied this morning when she found me in Minato-san's room,” she tells him, and Shinjiro covers his face with his hand as he shakes his head.

“I'm not going to ask,” he mutters to himself as he heads to the kitchen. “Oi, help me out in the kitchen. Standing by the door when everyone gets back from school will just freak 'em out.”

“Would they perceive it as an ambush?” Aigis questions as she obeys and follows him into the kitchen. “I understand.”

“That's one way to put it,” Shinjiro says as he starts rummaging through the refrigerator for ingredients. “I'm gonna assume you don't know how to cook.”

“Affirmative. Although I have knowledge of the process, I have no practical use or need for such a skill. I do not eat.”

“But the rest of us do,” Shinjiro points out as he takes out some vegetables, fresh noodles, and meat. “You said you want to protect Arisato, yeah? Well, keeping everyone fed helps.”

Aigis falls silents for a long moment. “I comprehend. Is that how Shinjiro-san prefers to help his companions? With food stuffs to provide nutrients and energy?”

Shinjiro feels his cheeks heat up as he clears his throat. “Something like that,” he replies as he takes out a wok. “There's a cutting board in that cabinet. I'm going to have you cut up some vegetables for a stir-fry.”

Aigis follows Shinjiro's instructions well, and he's just glad he doesn't have another Fuuka on his hands. It doesn't take long to prep the ingredients, so as he starts combining them into the wok, he tells Aigis how to set the table. When the others return from school, there's fresh stir-fry to enjoy. No one's the wiser that Aigis assisted as she follows Minato around for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Minato has a kendo meet coming up, and once Shinjiro and Akihiko find out, they've both been helping in their own way. Akihiko tells him everything he knows about one of his main competitors, Hayase Mamoru. Shinjiro makes food, tailoring meals with Minato's training in mind, much to Akihiko's amusement. 

“So protein IS important, huh, Shinji?” Akihiko teases.

Rolling his eyes, Shinjiro takes Akihiko's not completely empty plate away from him. “Never said it wasn't,” he replies as Akihiko follows him to get the rest of his food.

“I wasn't done!”

“Oh? You started running your mouth. I thought you were done,” Shinjiro states as he manages to keep the dish away from Akihiko.

“That's just cruel,” Akihiko grumbles, and he most definitely doesn't pout.

Minato is glad it's just the three of them here for dinner; he's sure Shinjiro wouldn't tease Akihiko like this in front of the others. “Mmm, can I have seconds, Shinjiro-senpai?” he asks innocently.

“I didn't even get to finish my first one!” Akihiko complains, and Shinjiro gives him his plate back. “Shinji, why are you like this?”

Shinjiro rolls his eyes as he plates another serving for Minato. “Because you need to be knocked down a peg or two,” he replies easily then hands Minato his plate.

With a thank you, Minato digs back in. “I do not-” Akihiko begins then his phone rings, interrupting his comeback. “Sorry, that's Mitsuru. Excuse me.”

Akihiko takes the call, greeting Mitsuru, but very soon into the conversation, his face falls. “Right, I'll let them know that's tomorrow. Thanks, Mitsuru.”

After he hangs up, Akihiko looks over at Shinjiro; it's not hard to guess what the call was about. “The kid coming soon, then?” he asks blandly as he starts cleaning up.

“Yeah, Amada will move in tomorrow night,” Akihiko confirms as Minato finishes up his food with a frown.

“How do you want to handle this, senpai?” Minato asks them carefully, knowing the whole situation is a charged one.

Shinjiro continues to wash dishes like he hasn't heard the question. “Tch,” Akihiko scowls. “Don't start this shit, Shinji. We can't ignore the problem here.”

“We can and will,” Shinjiro replies evenly. “I'm the one with the problem. Don't treat the kid any different on my behalf. I'll keep our interactions short.”

Akihiko doesn't seem to agree with this course of action, but Minato can tell he's biting his tongue, since he doesn't have a better answer. “Fine,” he agrees, agitated. “But Arisato can run interference whenever you need, all right? Don't let this eat you up.”

Shinjiro stops washing the dish in his hand to turn and look at Akihiko with a glare. “Stop acting like I did nothing,” he states, anger bubbling under the service. “I'm not innocent in this, no matter your opinion, Aki.”

Before Akihiko can snap a response, Minato speaks up. “I think Akihiko-senpai would be best for running interference,” he says, and Akihiko stops to look at Minato with a curious look. “Ken-kun seemed pretty enthused by your boxing record, senpai. I think he'd be interest in stories about your matches.”

Akihiko looks pensive as Shinjiro turns his back to continue cleaning up. “That makes sense...” Akihiko says, glancing at Shinjiro's back. “I'm heading up. Mitsuru wanted me to make sure Amada's room was ready for him.”

He hands his empty plate to Shinjiro who takes it with a muttered good night. Akihiko squeezes his shoulder with a good night of his own. Minato watches in amusement, but gets caught out by Shinjiro who glares at him.

“Whatever you're going to say, don't,” Shinjiro says preemptively as he scrubs at the plate in his hands.

Minato shrugs, bringing his own plate over to the sink. “A lot has happened lately,” he begins without heeding Shinjiro's words, “and just because there's been bad doesn't mean you can't let yourself have some good. And before you say you don't deserve it, remember you're not the only one involved. Akihiko-senpai deserves you, even if you don't think you deserve him.”

Shinjiro sighs as he takes the plate from Minato. “I wasn't thinking about all that,” he lies, not looking Minato in the eye.

“Sure, but maybe before Ken-kun gets here and you get all prickly again, you should talk to him,” Minato tells him. “Maybe it'll help.”

“I'll think about,” Shinjiro says quietly as he dries off the last clean plate. “You're a nosy little shit, you know that?”

“Yep,” Minato replies cheerfully as he heads for the stairs. “See you tomorrow, Shinjiro.”

Shinjiro rolls his eyes. “Good night, Minato.”

* * *

As Akihiko finishes his cool down stretches, there's a knock on the door. He stretches his arms over his head one more time, rubbing the back of his neck with a towel as he heads for the door. When Akihiko opens the door, he's surprised to see Shinjiro.

“Hey,” Shinjiro greets quietly, and Akihiko steps aside to let him in. “I wanted to...talk.”

“That's new,” Akihiko says without thinking as he closes the door. “I mean, I'm not going to stop you, Shinji.”

Shinjiro rolls his eyes. “Tch, you just gotta be difficult about everything,” he mutters then notices Akihiko's state of undress from his workout. “Put on a shirt.”

Akihiko snorts. “No way. It's hot, and I need a shower. No reasons to dirty another shirt,” he refuses as he crosses his arms. “What, can't talk to me if my shirt's off?”

“You're such a goddamn brat,” Shinjiro says as he runs his hand over his face. “Fine, whatever. I've been an idiot. And I'm not repeating that.”

“What?” Akihiko asks with a look of complete confusion. “Wait, usually, you're saying I'm the idiot.”

“You're an idiot too,” Shinjiro agrees, looking away with a light flush rising to his cheeks. “Just meant...last time we talked in my room, I was under a false impression.”

Akihiko scowls immediately at being called an idiot, but he's too curious to derail the conversation. “Yeah? What was that?”

Shinjiro pauses then takes a deep breath. “That you weren't my romantic soulmate.”

Akihiko gapes in shock, staring at Shinjiro incredulously. “What the hell!” he exclaims as he punches Shinjiro's arm. “How the hell did you get to that conclusion? I've known since before we met Mitsuru! I thought I was just waiting for you to...get over your hang ups.”

“What was I supposed to think, we never had our moment either way!” Shinjiro shouts back, rolling the shoulder Akihiko punched. “I thought I was just a shit best friend. It's not like I haven't been. Then you met Mitsuru...”

Silence falls over the room as Akihiko stares then breaks out into a laughing fit. “Me and Mitsuru, are you crazy?” he says between laughs. “She's so high maintenance! I feel bad for Takeba.”

Shinjiro scowls then double takes. “Wait, did you just say Takeba?” he asks. “She's Mitsuru's romantic? How the hell did you find that out?”

“Long story, but I've always knows Mitsuru's other mark, and Iori made us share during a Tartarus trip back in spring,” Akihiko explains, rubbing the back of his neck. “I found out then, and Iori found out about Arisato.”

“Ah,” Shinjiro replies then pinches the bridge of his nose. “This has gone wildly off topic.”

“Yeah,” Akihiko agrees. “Don't mention anything to Takeba. I don't think she knows, but Mitsuru found out during the last full moon.”

Shinjiro nods. “They'll figure their shit out,” he adds then gives Akihiko a significant look. “Now, can we figure out shit out without getting derailed again?”

“Yeah,” Akihiko agrees then grins. “I can't not give you shit. You really didn't think we were romantic?”

“I think I just didn't want to think about it,” Shinjiro admits.

Akihiko reaches out, taking Shinjiro's right hand into his left. “I guess I could have pushed,” he says as he touches their forearms and soulmarks.

Shinjiro smiles softly then blinks as he notices their soulmarks sharing matching reddish glows. “Hey, Aki,” he murmurs. 

“Was our moment just actually talking to each other?” Akihiko questions with a laugh as he squeezes Shinjiro's hand. “We're just that bad at communicating.”

“Full circle, really,” Shinjiro jokes, raising his hand joined with Akihiko's. “Guess I was worried for nothing.”

“Definitely worried for nothing,” Akihiko agrees then smiles slyly. “Does this mean I can kiss you? Because I really want to kiss you, Shinji.”

Shinjiro snorts. “I won't stop you.”

“Good,” Akihiko murmurs as he leans up and kisses him.

The kiss is different their other two kisses. The first time had been an uncontrolled passion. The second had been hesitant and ended too soon. Now, Akihiko's ready to fight for this, and Shinjiro won't pull away.

Akihiko presses against Shinjiro a bit too much and sends them tumbling onto his bed. Shinjiro grunts into the kiss but doesn't quite break it. Their mouths slide against each other as they shift on the bed to get a better angle. Shinjiro breaks the kiss, pulling an embarrassing whine from Akihiko.

“I need to breath, asshole,” Shinjiro murmurs against Akihiko's cheek before cringing. “Fuck, you need a shower, you sweaty mess.”

“Not my fault,” Akihiko protests, biting back a laugh. “Wanna join me? Everyone else should be asleep...”

Shinjiro groans. “You're just going to be a series of bad ideas, aren't you?”

Akihiko grins. “I think that means you want to.”

“Shaddup and don't get us caught,” he agrees as he shoves Akihiko off the bed.

“I can keep quiet,” Akihiko says as he rolls to his feet.

Shinjiro snorts. “I'll believe it when I see it,” he disagrees as he stands up himself. “Or in this case, when I hear you moaning my name.”

Akihiko goes still, his blush heating his face and down his neck and chest. “Shinji!”

“Hey, I never said I'd stop teasing you,” he replies as he looks Akihiko over. “I didn't think you'd blush full body like that.”

“H-hey,” Akihiko protests as Shinjiro starts to strip.

“We don't wake Arisato or Iori,” he reminds Akihiko as he drops his clothes to the ground. “We'd never hear the end of it.”

Akihiko watches Shinjiro strip almost in a trance, but the names of their kohai makes him cringe. “That's incentive enough, thanks,” he says as he strips himself, heading for the shower in the corner of the room.

Shinjiro smirks, dropping his boxers to the ground before stepping into the shower to warm the water. “If you forget to keep quiet, I'll keep your mouth busy,” he promises.

Akihiko bites back an embarrassing sound as he strides forward, trying not to think too hard about how Shinjiro might shut him up. He steps into the shower and drags Shinjiro in fully, sliding the glass door shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say, I wrote most of this chapter this morning, and goddammit, I guess AkiShinji decided the slow burn for them was over? Surprise! For everyone! Hope it doesn't seem rushed? It's been a rough few weeks, and I'm no longer ahead with my chapters.
> 
> With that said, I do have a trip coming up, so the next week or two might not be posted regularly. Either late or just postponed for a week. Don't worry, I'm still writing! There'll probably be some other side fics. If you haven't noticed, I made it into a series this past week. There was a scene that didn't fit in the flow of the main fic but still needed to happen.
> 
> That would be [Interlude: Guilt](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19287229). I'll also add this to the end notes of the last chapter, that way people see it in the order of reading. It's small, but clears up that Shinji knows about Ken showing up.


	13. Chapter XII: The Rumor Mill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitsuru interrupts something a long time in coming. Akihiko's bad at hiding hickeys. Yukari hears some gossip and makes an offer to help her senpai. Oh, and Ken's arrives at the dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the AkiShinji morning after. Have fun, because I sure did. <3

Mitsuru usually finds Akihiko in the kitchen downing a protein shake after coming back from a run. Akihiko's easily the earliest riser in the whole dorm, but he's no where to be found. It's strange, since Mitsuru knows he's very good about his morning exercise routine not interfering with getting to school on time.

To be honest, it's a bit worrying, especially since Ken will be moving into the dorm later this afternoon. She knows that Akihiko knows, because she told him the specifics last night. Perhaps he's caught a cold? Mitsuru knows Akihiko is miserable when he gets sick.

So, she heads upstairs to the boys' floor and knocks on his door. “Akihiko? Are you all right?” Mitsuru asks through the door.

When she gets no response, she frowns and quickly takes a few steps to knock on Shinjiro's door. “Shinjiro? Sorry to wake you, but I can't find Akihiko,” she calls out, but as she does so, it dawns on Mitsuru that Shinjiro not being awake is another strange occurrence this morning. 

There are sounds of shuffling and muttering before a thud of someone falling out of the bed. Mitsuru blinks, but before she can form a coherent thought about what the hell is happening, the door flings open. Akihiko looks flushed as he stares at Mitsuru. She stares back before deciding whatever is going on shouldn't be discussed in the hallway, and she strides into the room without a word.

Akihiko shuts the door behind her. “Uhh, good morning, Mitsuru.”

Shinjiro shakes his head before burying his face in his hands. “You moron,” he mutters from the bed. “Put some pants on.”

Mitsuru really hadn't noticed that Akihiko had answered the door in his boxers, but now, both she and Akihiko have noticed. He's scrambling to put on some pants as he apologizes. Shinjiro seems to be hiding his laughter poorly as Mitsuru tries to piece together what she's just walked in on.

“May I ask what I've just walked in on?” Mitsuru asks, taking in the whole scene in front of her.

Shinjiro hasn't moved from the bed, so she infers that he's not wearing pants either. There's definitely marks on Akihiko's neck that she did not need to think too much about. Not to mention there's a damning trail of clothing from the bed to the shower. She can feel her face flush as the pieces all fall into place.

Neither Shinjiro nor Akihiko answers, and Mitsuru brings her hand to her forehead with a sigh and shake of her head. “I can't tell if congratulations are in order or not,” she tells them. “Have you gotten yourselves together? Actually _talked_ to each other.”

Akihiko grins sheepishly. “Yeah, we have,” he says, a bit dreamily.

“Tch, I guess we have,” Shinjiro agrees, rolling his eyes. “Can we talk downstairs? No offense, Mitsuru, but I'm more naked than I'd prefer to be while in the same room as you.”

“Agreed,” Mitsuru says as Akihiko bites back a chuckle. “And make sure to cover up his neck. Those are your fault, I assume.”

Akihiko chokes for a moment, a hand coming to his neck in a poor attempt to hide the hickeys. “I'll figure something out, but I bet his fangirls will have a conniption...”

Mitsuru hides a smile with her hand. “Now, you'd know if you came to school, Shinjiro,” she says as she turns on her heel to leave. “I'll see you downstairs for breakfast in a bit. Akihiko, you better get ready for school. Soulmate moments are no reason to skip school.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Akihiko agrees as Mitsuru disappears out the door.

* * *

Yukari heads in early for archery practice, but when she heads to class, she's already hearing girls whispering loudly in the hallways. Usually, gossip doesn't catch her attention, but when she hears Akihiko's name, Yukari pauses.

“Did you see Akihiko-senpai today?” a brunette whispers to her short haired friend.

The short haired girl shakes her head. “Why? Oh, did you catch him at boxing practice again?”

“Yes! He had badly covered up hickeys!” the brunette replies in a rush, her face red and flustered. “Senpai has a girlfriend!”

With a gasp, the short haired girl shakes her head in denial. “No! He can't possibly... Maybe they were from practice?” she offers weakly.

“Definitely not,” the other girl denies vehemently. “No one lands a hit on Akihiko-senpai! And unless someone bit his shoulder during a match up...”

Yukari tries not to laugh as she quickly walks by the distressed girls. She decides she needs to talk to Fuuka after class, but until then, she sets her sights on Minato. Striding over to him, Yukari stops in front of his desk before class starts.

“Minato-kun, did you hear about senpai?” she whispers excitedly. “Did he and Shinjiro-senpai finally get together?”

Minato blinks up at her for a long moment. “I didn't see either of them this morning,” he replies then hums. “That in itself is suspicious, since they're both early risers...”

Yukari grins. “Some girls in the hallway think he has a girlfriend,” she tells him, trying not to giggle. “Apparently, he has some hickeys.”

“His fanclub is going to have simultaneous heart attacks,” Minato states, highly amused. “Good thing Shinjiro-senpai can fend them off.”

“He doesn't even come to school, so I doubt he'll have to worry about them at all.”

Minato shakes his head. “You've never hung out with Akihiko-senpai outside of school or the dorms, have you?” he questions, and Yukari shakes her head. “Yeah, those girls stalk his favorite beef bowl shop and other places he frequents.

Making a face, Yukari sighs. “That's awful.”

“He's seems oblivious to it, to be honest,” Minato says with a shrug as Junpei walks over to them.

“Are you two conspiring without me? I'm wounded,” Junpei says, dramatically placing a hand over his heart.

Yukari rolls her eyes. “Junpei, you're just always late to the party,” she tells him. “Akihiko-senpai came in with noticeable hickeys today, and his fanclub is in a tizzy.”

Junpei whistles a low, impressed whistle. “Get it, Akihiko-senpai!”

“Ugh,” Yukari says in disgust, but before she can say anything else, Ms. Toriumi walks and tells everyone to get to their seats.

* * *

Mitsuru tells Hidetoshi to run the last student council meeting before summer break starts in earnest. He seems pleased at being chosen, though the others seem put out. She decides she'll handle any interpersonal issues in the group next semester. This afternoon, she has more pressing concerns.

She knows Ikutsuki will be bringing Ken to the dorms today, and Mitsuru hopes to be there before they arrive. When she opens the door to the lounge, she finds only Aigis and the dining room table set for a meal.

“Aigis, do you happen to know where Shinjiro is?” Mitsuru asks as she places her bag behind sign in counter.

Aigis shakes her head. “I do not. I only know he has left the dorms,” she confirms Mitsuru's suspicions. “He made a large amount of food with a note. It has instructions on how to heat it up and serve it.”

Mitsuru sighs, rubbing her temples. “I should have known he'd make his escape while we were at school,” she mutters to herself.

The front door slams open. “Oi, Shinji, I have a bone to pick with you!” Akihiko shouts as he strides forward with intent before noticing Mitsuru. “Oh, you're back early, Mitsuru. Didn't you have student council?”

“I did not attend, since we're welcoming our newest dorm resident today, remember?”

Akihiko winces. “Shit, I shouldn't have gone to school today,” he says to himself as he turns to head back out the door. “I'm going to go find him!”

“Akihiko, don't you dare-!” Mitsuru shouts after him, but he's already bolted out the door. “Ugh, that moron...”

“Mitsuru-san, we have guests,” Aigis reports as the doors open again.

Ikutsuki looks amused as he enters the lounge with Ken. “My, Akihiko is sure full of energy today.”

“He didn't even say hi...” Ken murmurs to himself, and Mitsuru tries not to outwardly cringe.

“Chairman, Amada,” Mitsuru greets as warmly as she can, but it's clear that the annoyance in her voice is hard to mask. “I apologize for Akihiko. He seems to be a man on a mission today.”

Ken shakes his head. “That's okay, Kirijo-san,” he says as he looks around. “Wow, this place is so big...”

Ikutsuki grins. “Let's get you settled in your room then come back down to eat,” he tells Ken, and as they head for the stairs, he pauses near the kitchen. “I smell something wonderful. I'm sure Shinjiro has outdone himself again.”

As they head upstairs, Mitsuru hears Ken questioning Ikutsuki about the residence of the dorms. She sighs as she heads into the kitchen. Aigis follows her curiously. Mitsuru does not jump when Aigis appears behind her silently, but it is a near thing.

“Aigis, would you like to help with the food?” Mitsuru asks as she opens the rice cooker. “We'll set food for myself, the Chairman, and Amada for now. The others can fend for themselves when they return. Ah, do you eat Aigis? I didn't mean to forget you.”

“I can consume food, but it does not digest nor does it give me energy, so it would be a waste,” Aigis confirms as she helps dish up rice.

Mitsuru nods. “There's still a place at the table for you, even if you can't enjoy the food.”

“Thank you, Mitsuru-san,” she replies as she help dish out serving of rice.

Together, they bring out karaage, salad, and miso soup as well. There's three servings set for when Ikutsuki and Ken return from upstairs, and Mitsuru can't help but wonder if Shinjiro picked this meal on purpose. By now, he's figured out each resident's tastes in food, but with Ken, he has no idea. Karaage is most definitely a safe choice for a ten year old they don't know.

Once Aigis places the last bowl of rice down, the lounge door swings open again, and Minato returns with the rest of the underclassmen. They chatter amongst themselves as they make their way inside, depositing their bags on the couch until Junpei notices the full spread on the table.

“Oh, hell yes!” he crows as he bounds towards the table. “Man, Shinjiro-san can even make fried chicken seem special. I bet it tastes amazing!”

“There's karaage?” Ken asks, sounding excited and a bit shy as he descends the stairs. “Oh. Hello, everyone.”

Yukari smiles at him. “Hi, Ken-kun,” she greets easily as she waves him over. “Looks like this is all for you. Where's Shinjiro-senpai? We should thank him before we eat.”

Mitsuru puts on a smile that immediately sets her underclassmen on edge as Ken takes the seat Yukari offers him, and Ikutsuki joins as well. “He had something to take care,” she lies. “Akihiko went to see what's taking him, but I don't believe we should wait up for them. I'm sure they can fend for themselves.”

Junpei winces mid-way in making his plate full of karaage. “Yikes, sounds like Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-senpai are in trouble,” he says quietly, but not quietly enough, since Mitsuru turns her icy sights on him. “Ahahahaha, but I'm sure it's fine! Hey, Ken, you should definitely load up. Shinjiro-san is the best cook!”

Ken nods as he takes a few pieces of karaage. “Thank you, Junpei-san.”

Fuuka smiles as she grabs herself some salad first. “You're so polite, Ken-kun!” she marvels as the rest of the team fills up their plates and sit down.

Ducking his head, Ken flushes. “I see no reason to be impolite,” he explains quietly. “And you're all my seniors.”

Junpei grins widely. “Man, I can get used to being called 'Junpei-san'.”

“Ken-kun, if you decide to drop Junpei's honorific, we wouldn't blame you,” Yukari adds, and Minato and Fuuka bite back some giggles.

“Hey!” Junpei exclaims with a sour face then turns to Minato. “Bro, I can tell you're laughing!”

Minato shrugs. “You usually have it coming from Yukari,” he points out before digging into his karaage and rice.

“I haven't done anything,” Junpei protests then pauses for a long moment. “...today.”

Ken can't help his laughter, which earns him a wounded look from Junpei. “I'm sorry, Junpei-san, but you all seem like very good friends.”

Junpei takes off his hat, rubbing the back of his head. “Eheheh, I guess I do,” he replies sheepishly.

Mitsuru smiles to herself as she takes delicate bites of the fried chicken on her plate. It's far from her normal fare, but she's decided this year needs to be outside her comfort zone, if she wishes to understand her fellow S.E.E.S. members better. It's delicious, and she's a bit annoyed she can't tell Shinjiro so. 

The rest of the meal continues with playful banter and asking Ken questions. After they clean up, the boys head up with Ken to make sure he's situated. Ikutsuki leaves for the night, mentioning business to attend to. Mitsuru notices Fuuka head upstairs, but Yukari hasn't.

“Did you need something, Takeba?” 

Yukari startles a bit, but she nods when she quickly regains her composure. “I was wondering... Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai haven't returned yet...”

Mitsuru frowns. “No, they haven't,” she agrees with a sigh. 

“Is something wrong? I didn't think Akihiko-senpai would miss Ken-kun's arrival,” Yukari asks then taps her chin in thought. “Although, he did seem kinda awkward when he first met Ken-kun at school...”

“I believe it's not my place to say,” Mitsuru explains. “However, don't push the subject. It's something he and Shinjiro have to figure out.”

Yukari blinks. “Shinjiro-senpai has a problem too...?” she wonders out loud. “I'll try not push too much, but there's another thing I wanted to ask Akihiko-senpai about. I wanted your opinion on how to ask him.”

“Oh? What's the question?” Mitsuru asks curiously.

Fidgeting a little bit, Yukari bites her lip. “Well, I wanted to ask Akihiko-senpai if he wanted some help covering up those hickeys,” she says in a rush. “I don't think he'd really know how to, and I'm pretty good at applying make up...”

Mitsuru smiles, hiding her laughter behind her hand. “I'll tell him to consult you on the matter in the morning, Takeba.”

“Oh, thanks, Mitsuru-senpai,” Yukari replies with a smile. “Did you see those girls freaking out about it at school, though? They're ready to attack his 'girlfriend', I swear.”

“Shinjiro can handle himself,” Mitsuru replies with a chuckle. “Better cover up will help quell the rumors if a certain someone can't help himself, however. Akihiko's sport does require he's shirtless for bouts.”

Yukari's face flushes. “Senpai!” she exclaims, sounding a bit scandalized. “Boy, Junpei was right. They are in trouble when they come back to the dorms.”

“They are,” she agrees. “Was there anything else?”

“No, that's it,” Yukari replies, biting her lip again. “I'll see you later, senpai.”

As Yukari rushes upstairs, Mitsuru has a feeling she missed something; however, once she's disappeared upstairs, the lounge doors swing open. Shinjiro walks inside with Akihiko sulking beside him. Her attention turns from Yukari to the two idiots in front of her. Their underclassmen weren't wrong; they're in definite trouble with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet again, I pretty much wrote most of this chapter today. Beginning chunk I wrote on Friday. I wanted to try and post a chapter before I go on vacation at the end of the week. My birthday's next Sunday, so it's not likely there'll be a new chapter, since I won't even be in my state.
> 
> I've made a persona sideblog, [memoriesofyourdread](https://memoriesofyourdread.tumblr.com/). I'll be posting links to fics there, and if there's people want, I can post snippets of things that aren't finished yet.
> 
> Also, we're almost at 1k hits. Thank you so much, everyone. 60+ kudos too. Love it. <3 Tell me what you think of the story. I love comments too. See you guys in two weeks. <3


	14. Chapter XIII: Happenstance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akihiko and Shinjiro regret pissing off Mitsuru. Most of the second years want to take Ken out for a day of fun. ...but where are Fuuka and Aigis?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late chapter. My vacation didn't leave any time for writing, so I wrote this chapter today. Thanks for the comments, kudos, and birthday wishes. I really appreciate it! <3
> 
> ...and wow, I didn't even name the last chapter. Welp. Don't mind the author. The summer heat is melting her brain.

Akihiko sprawls out on Shinjiro's bed with a groan. “Mitsuru's executions really pack a punch,” he says, staring up at the ceiling as Shinjiro sits on the bed and leans back carefully against the wall next to his bed. “I think she went easy on us even. Ugh.”

Shinjiro snorts then winces. “Yeah, probably didn't want to scare the kid by murdering the two boneheads across the hall,” he points out with his eyes closed.

“Oh yeah, I forgot...” Akihiko says quietly, glancing at Shinjiro. “We didn't really get to talk about-”

“Shaddup, my head hurts,” Shinjiro interrupts. “I left them food. That's all I'm up for today.”

Akihiko frowns as he sits up slowly. “Yeah, but you still didn't tell me what you were doing in that alleyway tonight.”

Shinjiro sighs, opening his eyes to stare at Akihiko. “I came back with you. Can that be enough of a win for you right now?” he asks, and Akihiko nods reluctantly. “Good.”

Giving up isn't usually in Akihiko's vocabulary, but he knows when he needs to back off with Shinjiro. Instead, he decides that his soulmate definitely needs someone by his side. Maybe in a more literal sense at the moment, so Akihiko shifts on the bed and tucks himself next Shinjiro on the bed, leaning against him.

Shinjiro rewards him with a soft 'tch' and a small smile as he wraps an arm around him. It's not the best position to stay in for the night, but for now, it's fine. Akihiko closes his eyes with a pleased hum, enjoying the silence and the company.

* * *

Ken sleeps through his first night in the dorm better than he thought he would. He figures he's been pretty adaptable in the past two years. It makes him wonder if his mom would be happy, but Ken shakes that thought. 

He hates that sometimes he can't think about his mom without getting angry. Her killer's free, and Ken knows the police didn't believe him, that there had been _something_ that had killed her. It had not been a building collapsing.

There's a knock on his door, and Ken blinks for a moment before padding over to to the door to open it. “Ah, Junpei-san, good morning,” he greets then notices it's not just Junpei. “Sorry, I didn't see you there, Minato-san.”

Junpei laughs, elbowing Minato playfully. “Hey, you're starting to lose your charm,” he jokes then grins widely. “Or the world is finally seeing how amazing Iori Junpei is!”

Minato snorts, but before he can make a witty retort, Yukari walks down from the girls' floor. “The world would have to be ending for that to happen,” she states then smiles at Ken. “Good morning, Ken-kun. Did you sleep well?”

Ken smiles in return, nodding. “I did. Thank you, Yukari-san,” he replies before looking back at the guys. “I didn't get to ask, but did you need something, Junpei-san, Minato-san?”

Junpei grins and throws his arm around Ken's shoulders. “Yeah! We're going to treat you today, Ken! We're heading to the arcade!”

Yukari stares at him flatly. “Did you even ask Ken-kun before you decided this?”

“I do like the arcade...” Ken says quietly, face turning pink. “But you don't have to use your own money, Junpei-san!”

Minato shakes his head. “Junpei's broke. That's why I'm here,” he says, and Junpei winces.

“Man, I thought you were going to keep that to yourself,” Junpei complains.

Ken hesitates. “I don't want to use your money, either, Minato-san...”

“Aww, Ken-kun,” Yukari coos. “You're so sweet, but you should let your senpai spoil you a little. We do have some spending money.”

“We?” Junpei questions, eyeing Yukari suspiciously.

Yukari crosses her arms. “Yes, we. I don't trust you with Ken-kun,” she states then glances at Minato. “Not that I don't trust you, Minato-kun...”

Minato smirks. “I bet I can beat you at the shooter games.”

“Oh, you're on!” she exclaims then clears her throat in embarrassment. “C'mon, let's see if Shinjiro-senpai made breakfast. Ken-kun, you're going to have the best food of your life here.”

Ken looks between the three of them. “You think Aragaki-san is downstairs?” he asks shyly. “I still have to thank him for yesterday's meal. It was delicious.”

Yukari grins. “He's usually still downstairs around now. We should be able to catch him.”

* * *

Mitsuru decides that she needs to have a talk with Shinjiro as she enjoys the omelet rice he'd made for breakfast. Distracting Akihiko isn't an easy feat, and she knows she'll have to do it a lot more with classes out for the summer. 

“Hey, where'd Shinji go, Mitsuru?” Akihiko asks as he towels off his hair, fresh from a shower after his morning workout.

“He had some errands to run,” she replies before gesturing to the table. “There's breakfast being kept warm in the oven.”

Akihiko goes over to the oven to grab his breakfast, brings it back to the table, and sits to down. He mutters a quick 'itadakimasu' before digging in. After swallowing the first bite, he smiles softly to himself.

“There's meat in my omelet,” he says in awe. “Shinji listened to me asking for extra protein in my breakfasts.”

Mitsuru smiles behind another bite of her own omelet rice. “That's sweet, Akihiko.”

“Shinji's a softie,” Akihiko agrees before eating with more vigor, and Mitsuru crinkles her nose before throwing a napkin at him.

“Eat like a civilized human being,” she chides him as the others come downstairs. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Kirijo-san, Sanada-san,” Ken greets, and the others chime in with their own greetings.

Mitsuru shifts her gaze to Akihiko, who looks up and swallows his food. “Uhh, good morning, Amada,” he greets awkwardly. “Sorry I missed you yesterday.”

Ken shakes his head. “It's okay,” he says quietly. “May I ask what happened? If it's none of my business...”

Akihiko rubs the back of his neck. “Eh, Shinji had left suddenly, and I wanted to make sure he was all right,” he replies, more or less honestly.

Yukari giggles while Junpei leans over Ken's shoulder. “Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-senpai are soulmates,” he faux whispers with a grin. “Don't go into their rooms without knocking-”

“Stupei, don't imply that about our senpai! And to a kid!” Yukari exclaims, smacking upside the head.

“I'm not that much of a kid...” Ken mutters to himself, his cheeks red. “And who goes into someone's room without knocking?”

“Akihiko,” Mitsuru replies as Minato says, “Junpei.”

Yukari can't help but laugh at Junpei's affronted face as he shoulder checks Minato. “Hey, man, I'm not stupid enough to go into our senpai's rooms!” he protests.

“I wouldn't think you'd be the type to barge into other people's rooms, Akihiko-senpai,” Minato says, curiosity piqued as he shoves Junpei in return.

Akihiko shrugs, not even embarrassed by the accusation. “I have two very stubborn soulmates,” he states, looking at Mitsuru pointedly.

Mitsuru shakes her head. “It's funny how you say it like you're not the most of stubborn of all,” she points out before holding up a hand. “Let's end this discussion for now. It'd be a shame if the rest of you didn't partake in the breakfast Shinjiro made. It's staying warm in the oven.”

Everyone calms down and starts piling into the kitchen to grab their food. As everyone takes their seats at the table, Akihiko's already finished off his plate. He gets up to move, and Mitsuru isn't sure how to distract him. Shinjiro's appointment with his doctors is particularly lengthy today, so she needs Akihiko not to go looking for him.

Yukari saves the day without knowing. “Hmm, I wonder where Fuuka is?” she wonders out loud before taking a bite of her omelet and making a pleased sound at the taste.

“Yamagishi is strangely absent,” Mitsuru agrees then turns to Akihiko. “Can you check on her?”

“I haven't seen Aigis this morning either,” Minato adds, brows furrowed. “That seems unusual.”

Mitsuru frowns at that piece of information as she cleans off her plate. “Actually, this might be more trouble than anticipated. I'll join you, Akihiko.”

With a snort, Akihiko grabs Mitsuru's and his own plate to bring to the sink. “You're not even going to wait for an answer,” he says then heads for the stairs. “Let's go. We'll let you know if there's any actual trouble.”

Minato nods. “We're heading out to Paulownia Mall after breakfast,” he explains, gesturing to his phone. “You can message me if you need us.”

“Thank you for being so responsible, Arisato,” Mitsuru replies before she and Akihiko head upstairs.

* * *

When they reach the girls' floor, Mitsuru heads for Fuuka's door while Akihiko heads for Aigis'. He knocks, but when he hears a strange yelp and a crash, Akihiko opens the door without warning. It's not a scene he expected, and he can hear Mitsuru running over.

Fuuka looks up sheepishly from the floor by Aigis' charging station. Aigis doesn't seem phased at all as she points out something Fuuka missed. She types furiously on her laptop before turning her attention to her senpai, face reddening.

“Mitsuru-senpai! Akihiko-senpai!” Fuuka exclaims she carefully moves her laptop aside, minding the wires all around her as she gets to her feet. “Well...”

Mitsuru raises an eyebrow. “What's going on, Yamagishi?”

“I can explain,” she says in a rush. “I've just been so curious about Aigis since we met her, then she mentioned her room's set up, and then before I knew it, I was in here, surrounded by circuitry.”

“Fuuka-san has kept in mind safety procedures and has been very careful,” Aigis states. “She handles the equipment differently than the scientists I have dealt with in the past.”

“Do tell us in the future,” Mitsuru replies, her hand to her forehead. “It's rather unusual that Aigis isn't following Arisato around.”

Aigis seems to agree as she heads to the door. “Is Minato-san leaving the dorm? I must go with him,” she says, but Akihiko blocks the doorway.

“Let's make sure everything's straightening up here first, Aigis,” Akihiko points out. “And uhh, you can't exactly go out like that.”

Fuuka nods. “Aigis, we can clean up here, and I'll let you borrow something to wear that'll hide your joints.”

“Affirmative,” Aigis agrees, albeit a bit reluctantly. “I have not seen anyone except Fuuka-san today. Everyone is...well?”

Mitsuru blinks at the strange wording as Akihiko nods. “Yeah, looks like,” he says then frowns. “Not that I really saw Shinji that much this morning...”

Aigis pauses then nods. “Shinjiro-san has a much longer doctor's appointment than usual today,” she tells them, and the rest of the room falls silent. “He should return sometime this afternoon.”

“Aigis,” Akihiko begins slowly, “what do you mean, a doctor's appointment?”

Before Aigis can reply, Mitsuru steps in. “You should ask him yourself,” she says firmly. “And before you jump to any conclusions, I wished to tell you, but I respected Shinjiro's wishes for the time being. I told him to not keep this from you.”

Akihiko's fists clench at his side. “What hospital, Mitsuru?” he asks quietly.

“Iwatodai Memorial,” Mitsuru replies, glancing at Fuuka as Akihiko leaves the room without a word. “I would appreciate it greatly if you don't speak of this, Yamagishi.”

Fuuka shakes her head furiously. “Of course not,” she agrees, biting her lip. “Is Shinjiro-senpai okay?”

“The Kirijo Group's best doctors are working with him. He should be fine,” she tries to sound reassuring, but Mitsuru doesn't honestly know. “He'll share the details if he's willing.”

“I won't pry,” Fuuka promises then glances at Aigis. “Aigis, how did you know about his appointment?”

“I keep track of everyone's schedules,” Aigis replies. “Last Sundays of the month are special appointments for Shinjiro-san.”

Mitsuru sighs. “In the future, be more careful with that information, Aigis,” she chastises. “Some people, like Shinjiro, are very private. They'd prefer to keep that information to themselves.”

“Noted,” Aigis says with a nod. “Shall we continue to straighten up, Fuuka-san? I wish to follow Minato-san where he goes today.”

Fuuka winces. “Maybe ask him before following him?” she offers. “But we should clean up. Mitsuru-senpai, we can handle this.”

“I need something to keep my mind off of letting Akihiko run off on his own,” she tells them with a sigh. “I hope it turns out with at most a black eye.”

“Senpai!” Fuuka exclaims, scandalized.

“Unfortunately, it may be the best possible outcome with those two,” Mitsuru explains as she kneels down on the ground. “Now, what can I do to help?

Fuuka laughs nervously before she and Aigis show Mitsuru what to do and what circuitry and equipment goes where.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a Persona tumblr, [memoriesofyourdread](https://memoriesofyourdread.tumblr.com/), so if anyone wants to hit me up there or leave fic prompts, that's what it's for.
> 
> I'll try to make more google questionnaires, because the last one went well a while back. I'll post them on my tumblr, since I keep forgetting to make them before I post new chapters.
> 
> Also, we should be back on our Sunday posting schedule now. Have a nice day, lovelies. <3


	15. Chapter XIV: Say Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minato, Yukari, and Junpei enjoy an afternoon at the arcade with Ken. Aigis and Fuuka come looking for Minato. Akihiko tracks down Shinjiro for an important talk that definitely won't end in a black eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing this chapter? The 2-F trio dynamic so much? Like I didn't think that would happen, but it has. 
> 
> ...watch out for some AkiShinji real talk.

Minato snaps his phone closed with a sigh. “What's up, Minato-kun?” Yukari asks as the watch Junpei introduce Ken to his favorite first person shooter in the arcade.

“Fuuka and Aigis are fine,” he tells her, “but it sounds like there's another issues Mitsuru-senpai doesn't want to mention...”

Yukari huffs, putting her hands on her hips. “Hasn't she learned not to keep secrets from us?” she questions then frowns. “Wait, did you get that from just one text message?”

Minato's lips twitch into a bemused smile. “Two,” he replies cheekily and gets a smack on the shoulder.

“You are such a...” Yukari trails off then shakes her head. “C'mon, let's show Ken-kun some better games. And I'm going to kick your butt.”

With a laugh, Minato follows Yukari to where Junpei just got defeated by a elementary student. “Dude, that was a fluke,” Junpei tells Minato. “Wait, were you watching the whole time?”

“No, but I was,” Yukari pipes up with a grin, patting Ken on the back. “Good job, Ken-kun. You took out those zombies like a pro!”

Ken flushes, ducking his head. “Thanks, Yukari-san.”

“There's a new rhythm game I wanted to try out...” Minato says quietly as he glances around.

Yukari claps her hands together. “Ooh, do they have a dance game? I love those!”

Junpei scrunches up his nose. “Oh no, I'm not-” he cuts himself off. “Of course, I'm the king of dancing games. I'd hate to show everyone up.”

With a suspicious look, Yukari shakes her head. “Well, then you won't mind if we show Ken-kun a few moves, oh great king of dancing,” she says sarcastically. “If you don't mind waiting to play that rhythm game, Minato-kun?”

Minato shakes his head as he grabs Junpei's arm. “I want to see the king of dancing in action.”

“Minato!” Junpei yelps as he reluctantly follows him to the dance machine.

The game goes as well as everyone thought it would, and Minato tries not to laugh as Junpei almost loses his balance several times. Ken seems enraptured by the whole thing, so Minato invites him to play next, saying sorry to Yukari.

Yukari shakes her head and smiles. “I'll play winner,” she says with a wink.

Ken doesn't do too badly, but Minato still wins. He apologizes to Ken who smiles and leaves the dance machine gracefully with a thank you to his senpai. Yukari stretches a bit before stepping up to the machine.

“Ready to get destroyed?” she asks as she scrolls through songs.

“I'd ask the same,” Minato replies with a smirk, trying to rile Yukari up.

Her focus is completely on the game, and Minato finds himself neck to neck with Yukari in terms of perfect steps and points. It throws him a bit, since Junpei and Ken are nowhere near his level. Yukari definitely is, and after three songs, she prevails.

“Yes!” she shouts, pumping a fist in the air, but when she notices the boys staring at her, Yukari sheepishly steps of the machine. “Ahem, so that's how it's done, boys.”

“That was amazing, Yuka-tan,” Junpei says in awe.

Ken nods excitedly. “Yukari-san, that was amazing! Keeping up with Minato-san is amazing in itself, but beating him! Wow...”

Yukari's face turns pink as she waves off the praise. “It wasn't that big of a deal...”

“You beat my high score,” Minato points out, and Yukari turns around in surprise.

“Huh?” she says then jumps when she sees the game blinking at her to type her name for the high score board. “Oh!”

Yukari rushes over and types her initials victoriously. “Good job,” Minato congratulates her. “I'll beat you next time.”

“Oh, will you? I'll take that as a challenge,” Yukari tells him as she hits enter and her name goes on the leader board.

“It's definitely a challenge,” he confirms as they share a grin.

Before the can move on to their next arcade game, Ken frowns. “Is that...Aigis-san and Fuuka-san?” he questions, pointing towards the entrance of the arcade. “They look a bit lost...”

Minato looks over to the entrance and winces. “I forgot to tell Aigis we were leaving...” he mutters before jogging over to them.

Yukari sighs. “He shouldn't have to tell her where he's going all the time,” she complains. “Aigis needs to calm down about this following everywhere thing...”

“She follows him everywhere?” Ken questions, brows furrowed. “Is Aigis-san his girlfriend...?”

Junpei laughs awkwardly. “It's a complicated situation,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Let's go over to claw machines. I bet I can win you a Featherman action figure.”

Ken's face lights up. “Really!?” he exclaims then tries to contain his excitement. “I mean, that sounds cool, Junpei-san, but you don't have to...”

Yukari bites back a smile. “Well, if Junpei doesn't manage, I definitely will win you one,” she promises.

“Hey, I'm actually really good at prize machines,” Junpei says as they head over to the machines and leave Minato to deal with Aigis.

* * *

Fuuka sighs in relief when she notices Minato walking over to her and Aigis. It had been an awkward bit of speed walking through Iwatodai to follow Aigis. She feels frazzled and outside her comfort zone. Not to mention, she has a date in an hour with Natsuki, and Fuuka definitely never feels ready for those, no matter how many they've been on now.

“Minato-san, we found you,” Aigis states as she stands near him.

“Sorry I didn't tell you we were leaving, Aigis,” Minato apologizes. “You didn't cause Fuuka any trouble, did you?”

Fuuka gasps, shaking her head. “She didn't cause any trouble, Minato-kun,” she says in a rush. “More like I probably caused trouble.”

Aigis shook her head. “That is incorrect. Fuuka-san caused no trouble this morning. She had been curious about my functions and circuitry-”

“Maybe we shouldn't talk about that here,” Minato points out, amused. “But I'm glad you two are getting along so well.”

“Yes, Fuuka-san is very intelligent. I trust her if anything were to happen with-” Aigis pauses then nods. “-things you said not talk about in public, Minato-san.”

Minato chuckles as Fuuka covers her flushed face with her hands. “Fuuka, don't be embarrassed,” he teases.

Fuuka huffs when she uncovers her face. “Minato-kun, I hate to just leave, but I have to get ready for...umm...”

“Your date with Natsuki?” Minato asks, but it's not much of a question.

“Oh! Was it that obvious?” she questions sheepishly.

“Yes, you do go on dates with your soulmate most Sunday afternoons, Fuuka-san,” Aigis tells them. “Since there is no school in session on-”

“Aigis! Mitsuru-senpai told you this morning about telling everyone's schedules to other people!”

Minato frowns as he tries to puzzle together what happened this morning. “Whose schedule did you talk about this morning?”

“Shinjiro-san's.”

Fuuka groans as she covers her face in her hands again. “Aigis, please.”

“Who did you tell?” Minato presses, since he's sure no one will tell him any time soon unless he presses now.

“Akihiko-san seemed upset by the information,” Aigis replies, completely unaware of Fuuka's distress.

“That's not good,” Minato mutters to himself then looks over to Fuuka sympathetically. “I'm sorry I put you in a tight spot, Fuuka. I'll watch over Aigis. Go get ready for your date. Actually, Yukari's here. Do you want me to grab her for you?”

Fuuka nods, biting her lip. “If you wouldn't mind. Yukari-chan would be a great help,” she says. “I have no idea what to wear... Natsuki-chan and I usually go after school, so we're in our uniforms...”

Minato nods, tells Aigis to wait for him here, and then jogs off to grab Yukari. When he reaches the others by the claw machines, Minato sees Ken clutching a red Featherman action figure and Yukari's arms full of plushies as Junpei wins another one from a claw machine.

“Wow,” Minato says in amazement as Junpei grins as plops a sleepy emoji pillow in his arms.

“I totally rocked the claw machines, dude,” Junpei says triumphantly. “That one made me think of you.”

Minato snorts as he turns to Yukari. “If there's a Yukari under all those plushies, Fuuka wants you to help her pick out a date outfit.”

Yukari laughs as she keeps all three stuffed animals in her arms. “I'll head over. I can't play anything else like this anyway,” she says then turns to Junpei. “Thanks. Mind if I give one to Fuuka? Maybe she can give one to Natsuki on her date...”

Junpei waves her off. “Sure, I don't mind some lovely ladies enjoying my winnings,” he says with a wink.

“Ugh, don't make it weird, Stupei,” Yukari grouses before smiling at Ken. “See you later, Ken-kun. I hope you had fun today.”

Ken beams. “I did! Thank you so much, everyone,” he tells them with a bow. “I'm having a lot of fun.”

Yukari says her goodbyes before catching up with Fuuka. Minato brings Aigis over to the group, and they try to introduce her to arcade games, with varying and worrying levels of success.

* * *

Akihiko waits outside the hospital entrance. It takes a lot of willpower to not storm into hospital and ask the receptionist where Shinjiro is. He doesn't want to make a scene because he's angry. It's not how he wants to find Shinjiro, because Akihiko knows that he won't find out a damned thing if he storms in now.

The wait ends up being over an hour, and Akihiko's anger cools bit in the meantime. He doesn't want to blow up at Shinjiro, so the wait has been good. Except, it has also given him time for worst case scenarios. What if Shinjiro's dying, and there's nothing he can do? Akihiko really hates problems he can't punch.

Around noon, Akihiko catches sight of Shinjiro's coat. It's almost the end of July, and no one else would be this bundled up. He walks over and places a hand on Shinjiro's shoulder, and when Shinjiro spins around to shove who ever had the nerve to grab his shoulder, he tenses when he see Akihiko instead.

“Aki,” Shinjiro says through gritted teeth.

“Shinji,” Akihiko greets in response. “So, gonna tell me what's going on?”

“Gonna tell me who told you I was here?” he bites back.

“It wasn't Mitsuru,” Akihiko promises then shrugs. “Be more careful around Aigis if you don't want people to know things, huh?”

Shinjiro grunts as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Let's go somewhere else. I'd rather be somewhere less public if you're going to punch me.”

Akihiko frowns as he follows Shinjiro. “You think you did something worth getting punched over?”

“Tch, no, but you don't like secrets,” Shinjiro points out as they head away from the hospital.

“Yeah, but maybe I'd be willing to listen if you _talked_ to me,” Akihiko retorts, hiding his anger poorly. “Why can't you tell me shit, Shinji? How long has this been going on?”

With a sigh, Shinjiro points out a nearby cafe. “I want to sit down. You can punch me later when what I say pisses you off.”

“Why are you so sure I'm going to punch you?” Akihiko asks with a scowl as they enter the cafe. 

Shinjiro shrugs and falls silent until the grab a table, ordering them both some drinks. “I've known you since we were kids, Aki. You haven't changed that much.”

“You weren't here for over a year,” Akihiko points out quietly. “Maybe I haven't changed that much, but I'd like to think I can change, get better and stronger. Don't you think you can too?”

“You're still so optimistic for all the shit you've been through,” Shinjiro says, not looking Akihiko in the eye. “I don't want to be a burden or the reason that optimism runs dry.”

Akihiko frowns. “You're scaring me, Shinji. Just tell me straight.”

Shinjiro sighs then looks at Akihiko. “I've been using pills to suppress my persona,” he says plainly, then holds his hand up when Akihiko looks like he's about to interrupt. “You wanted me to talk. Don't interrupt me.”

Crossing his arms, Akihiko keeps silent. “I've been taking them for over a year, and I knew the side effects,” Shinjiro states. “I never planned to do anything about them, but then Mitsuru found out...”

“She was keeping your secret,” Akihiko surmises, “because she didn't think it was her place. Don't tell me she was going to go along with this for long.”

Shinjiro snorts. “She wasn't,” he agrees. “Mitsuru made me a doctor's appointment the night she found out. I've been taking different medications since, but I didn't want to tell you.”

Akihiko scowls. “Why the hell not? Yeah, I woulda been pissed about the suppressants, that you turned to drugs instead of talking to me, but why not tell me now?”

“Because I might still _die_ , Aki,” Shinjiro says, taking a deep breath. “I didn't want you to have to deal with a dead man walking.”

“That should have been my decision,” Akihiko replies quietly as he takes in the information. “And what? Were you just planning to fuck off and die quietly? Like I'd ever let you do that. No matter what, you dying would mess me up. You dying without telling me? I'd never get over that, Shinji. Never.”

“Yeah, well, I made that decision before I knew we were romantic soulmates, and I wasn't just shit platonic soulmate,” he says flippantly then sighs. “I never wanted to hurt you, Aki.”

Akihiko snorts. “So you're a bit shit at being a soulmate. I already knew that,” he teases then reaches out to take Shinjiro's hand in his. “I hate feeling helpless, so let me help you. Don't hide stuff from me. At least, not important stuff. Your life is important to me, even if you don't think it is.”

Shinjiro laughs, a bit watery. “You're such a sap,” he tells Akihiko as he laces his fingers through his. “You already know. No point in hiding anything about this now.”

“Good,” Akihiko agrees, squeezing Shinjiro's hand. “See, I didn't punch you. We're even holding hands.”

“Maybe a little tight, but hey,” Shinjiro jokes as Akihiko tries not to pout. “I'm kidding. It's progress.”

A small smile forms on Akihiko's lips. “We're getting there, together.”

“Yeah,” Shinjiro murmurs as their drinks arrive, and they enjoy their accidental date in the small, corner cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My persona tumblr.](https://memoriesofyourdread.tumblr.com/)
> 
> EDIT: I wrote a fic that fits between this chapter and the next. Just Yukari following through on her offer to help Akihiko cover up those hickeys in [Morning Coverup](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20517977).
> 
>  
> 
> My inbox is open for questions or writing prompts for Persona 3/4/5. I've really gotten back into my writing groove this year, and I wanna share that success with everyone. I can't promise that I can write everything that I get prompts for if I get them, but I'm not adverse to trying. <3


	16. Chapter XV: Just a Big Softie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minato suffers through kendo practice. Yukari brings Aigis shopping for new clothes. Shinjiro gets a talking to. Then Akihiko and Shinjiro get to hang out with best boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made minor edits to the last two chapters. Just one what day of the week is what. Wednesday was supposed to be Sunday, so I changed those lines accordingly. I guess this would be easier if I wasn't crazy and had a beta? Oh well, I'm already here.
> 
> Even when I don't plan for AkiShinji, there's AkiShinji. Sorry not sorry. Also, there's another google forms survey in the end notes. The feedback really helps, since I don't have a beta to bounce my ideas off of. <3

“No slacking off! It's our year to beat Hayase Mamoru!” Yuko exclaims, clapping her hands together fiercely.

Minato takes off his kendo mask and wipes sweat from his brow. “If I'd known our manager was such a tyrant, maybe I would have skipped this whole join a sports club thing...” he says, half-jokingly as Yuko scowls and Kaz laughs.

“Minato-kun, you're our best shot! Take this seriously!” she huffs then levels a glare at Kaz. “You too! Have you rested your knee? You're not even going to get to the tournament if you don't rest!”

Kaz's brows scrunch up in confusion. “First you say not to slack off, then you tell me to slack off?”

Yuko rolls her eyes. “Resting because your injury needs you to take breaks isn't slacking off,” she states as she passes him a sports drink. “Now, Minato-kun on the other hand...”

With a sigh, Minato puts his mask back on and starts up practice again. He can tell Yuko's pleased, and to be honest, he's relieved she got Kaz to take a break. While kendo practice has been exhausting, time with his friends outside of S.E.E.S. has been rewarding.

“Is that Sanada-senpai?” Yuko questions out loud, and Minato pauses his strike.

Kaz clambers to his feet, but Yuko pushes him back down. “Hey, I wanted to greet our senpai! He's an undefeated boxing champion! Maybe he can give me some training tips...”

“Like rest when you're injured?” she replies with a sour look as Akihiko walks over.

Minato takes off his mask again and gives Akihiko a wave. “Hey, senpai. Did you need something?”

Akihiko looks torn. “I wanted to talk to you, but it can wait until you're done practice. I hear Hayase a tough opponent.”

“Are you sure?” Minato questions, looking over Akihiko with suspicion. “If it's urgent, I don't mind cutting early. I trust your judgment, and I can train extra tomorrow.”

Yuko taps her chin. “Well, if you promise to train extra hard tomorrow, I wouldn't want you to keep senpai waiting.”

“I can wait,” Akihiko protests, but Minato waves him off as he heads for the locker rooms. 

“Nah, I can tell something's going on, senpai,” Minato says. “I'll be right back, then we can head out.”

Minato doesn't take long to change and say his goodbyes, slinging his gym bag over his shoulder as he leads Akihiko out of the gym. “What's up?” he asks when they've left the school.

“Shinji has been avoiding Amada,” Akihiko says quietly, looking frustrated. “He's being ridiculous about this. The others are going to notice Shinji doesn't want to be in a room with him, let alone what Amada must be thinking...”

“I can't completely blame him, but that is taking it a bit far...” Minato murmurs. “Have you talked to Shinjiro about it?”

“Tch, it's not like I haven't tried,” he replies. “He dodges the questions with...distractions.”

Minato notices Akihiko's flushed face and snorts. “Well, I assume those distractions won't work on me,” he says cheerfully. “I can talk to him.”

Akihiko clears his throat in embarrassment. “That would be great. I just hope Amada hasn't noticed Shinji very purposefully avoids him.”

“I think Ken-kun doesn't know him yet, so he might just assume he's busy?” Minato offers thoughtfully. “Plus, Shinjiro's cooking is very distracting. He's managed to guess most of Ken's favorite foods already.”

“I hope so...” Akihiko sighs. “If this keeps up, I think the others will get suspicious, and to be honest, Takeba is scary when she starts digging for information.”

Minato laughs. “You're not wrong, senpai,” he agrees.

* * *

Yukari sighs as she lays her head down on the table in the lounge. “What could she be hiding?” she murmurs to herself. “I thought she wasn't going to hide things again...”

“Who's hiding things, Yukari-san?” Aigis questions, a few feet away.

With a yelp, Yukari jumps out of her chair, and only be sheer luck does she not tumble to the floor. “Aigis! What are you doing!”

Aigis tilts her head. “I came downstairs to wait for Minato-san to return from kendo practice,” she states. “I saw you collapsed on the table, and I wanted to investigate your status.”

“I'm fine,” Yukari tells her, crossing her arms. “...wait, maybe you can help... Well, no, that'd be kind of invasive...”

“I do not understand. What is Yukari-san trying to find?” Aigis asks.

Yukari sighs. “I'm just sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. Don't worry about it, Aigis,” she decides, if only because getting Aigis involved would just end in a mess. “How about we go out shopping for clothes? You only have that blue dress we found you in, right?”

“That is correct,” she replies. “Is this a female bonding ritual?”

“I guess that's one way to put it,” Yukari says with a scrunched up nose. “Don't say it like that again, okay? It's just called hanging out.”

“Hanging out...” Aigis says, stilted as she tries out the new phrase. “All right, let's hang out, Yukari-san.”

Yukari smiles as she gestures Aigis to follow her. “That's better,” she says as she leads Aigis upstairs to get dressed.

* * *

The trek from the dorm to the strip mall is more harrowing than usual, and Yukari almost regrets asking Aigis to leave the dorm to shop. Except, some boys decide to not leave them alone, and Aigis just tells them point blank that they are unimportant to her current goals. They gape Yukari grabs Aigis' arm to pull her into a shop, laughing.

“Aigis, that was brutal,” Yukari giggles. “I'm buying your first outfit for that one.”

“I do not understand what happened, but I'm glad you are happy, Yukari-san,” Aigis replies as she looks around the boutique. “These are summer appropriate clothing, yes?”

Yukari blinks for a moment. “Oh, shoot! I forgot we have to go a bit more conservative because of your...joints. Sorry, maybe they have some winter clothing on their sale rack...”

After a good hour of browsing, Yukari's pleased with the clothing she's picked out. Jeans are a no go, but leggings and tights work pretty well. Loose fitting tops work better than tight ones at hiding Aigis' obviously non-human body. It's a good haul, and Yukari's glad it didn't even dent her wallet too much, since it was all off-season items.

Aigis carries both her bags with new outfits as they exit the store. “That was enjoyable,” she comments. “Did you want to stop somewhere for yourself, Yukari-san?”

“Maybe a little pick me up at the sweet shop wouldn't hurt...” Yukari says, biting her lip. “Don't tell anyone, okay? We'll make this our secret cheat day!”

“Understood,” Aigis agrees, though Yukari figures she doesn't understand what she means. “Is that Shinjiro-san exiting the grocery store?”

Yukari looks in the direction Aigis points out and catches sight of Shinjiro. “Oh, it is,” she says then starts to walk towards him. “Shinjiro-senpai! Did you need help with those bags?”

Shinjiro starts in surprise, catching Yukari's gaze. “Ah, Takeba. It's not that heavy,” he tells her, but the six bags he's carrying seem to tell another story.

“That is untrue,” Aigis disagrees.

Yukari grins as she takes two of the bags. “See? If Aigis said so, it must be true,” she tells him cheekily. “Whoa, they are heavy. We're off school, you know. Why don't you get Akihiko-senpai to come with you and carry some of these?”

“Tch, he'd make into some kind of contest,” Shinjiro replies, redistributing his remaining four bags between his hands. “I enjoy some peace and quiet when shopping.”

“Sorry to have disturbed your peace and quiet, Shinjiro-san,” Aigis apologizes, and Yukari giggles.

“I guess even soulmates need breaks from each other,” Yukari says in amusement. “Did you have anywhere else to go, Shinjiro-senpai? Aigis could probably carry anything, right?”

Aigis nods. “Yes, it is likely I'd be able to carry anything you would buy for sustenance.”

Shinjiro sighs. “No, this is fine. Let's head back to the dorms.” 

The journey back to the dorm is mostly silent. No one else bothers them with Shinjiro looming nearby, and Yukari wonders if she could cajole her senpai into future shopping trips if it meant less catcalling. It's a fleeting though that disappears when they reach the dorm. Yukari sends Aigis upstairs to put away her new clothes as she helps Shinjiro put away groceries in the kitchen.

“Oh, Ken-kun, welcome back!” Yukari greets him cheerfully, but she notices Shinjiro tense up.

Ken smiles in return. “Thanks, Yukari-san,” he says, but his face lights up even more when he notices Shinjiro. “Oh! Are you Aragaki-san? I wanted to thank you so much for the food. I haven't gotten to introduce myself. I'm Amada Ken. Nice to meet you.”

Yukari bites her cheek to keep from frowning as Shinjiro turns around with a grunt. “Nice to meet you,” he says. “Glad you liked the food.”

Unfazed by Shinjiro's awkwardly cool demeanor, Ken looks around the kitchen. “Do you need help putting anything away? That's a lot of food...”

“Nah, Takeba and I got it,” Shinjiro replies, relaxing ever so slightly. “And there's lots of mouths to feed.”

“Huh, I never really thought about all the work put into just making sure there's enough food for a dorm full of teenagers,” Ken says thoughtfully then ducks his head. “I'll get out of your way. But it was nice to meet you, Aragaki-san!”

“Yeah...” Shinjiro says as Ken heads upstairs and out of sight.

“What was up with that, senpai?” Yukari asks with a huff. “I didn't even think about it, but that was really the first time he's seen you? I can't believe you didn't make time to greet him! What the hell!”

Shinjiro seems taken aback by Yukari's outburst, but he stands his ground. “Do I really look like the kind of person that should be in a kid's life?”

Yukari scoffs. “Looks aren't everything,” she says, hands on her hips. “You're so kind! And thoughtful! You always end up having food ready for us, and don't tell me you don't know all of our favorites! Why wouldn't you be the same for Ken-kun?”

“Drop it, Takeba,” Shinjiro growls, and Yukari rolls her eyes.

“Sorry, senpai, but you don't scare me,” she says, shaking her head. “You gotta get over you hang ups. Ken-kun adores Akihiko-senpai, so it's not like you won't be running into him. Not only that, you live in the same dorm! This is ridiculous, whatever it is.”

Shinjiro falls silent at her words, and she's worried she's said too much. Yukari wrings the bottom of shirt for a moment, thinking of the best way to apologize, but Shinjiro breaks the silence instead.

“It's a long story, Takeba, and it's for the best Amada doesn't know about it,” he says finally as Yukari stares at him in surprise. “But you're right. I'll stop avoiding him. I don't want to make the kid think I hate him...”

Yukari smiles softly. “See? You're just a big softie,” she teases, getting a scowl in return. “Well, I'm going to go check on Aigis. See you later, Shinjiro-senpai!”

“Tch, yeah, Takeba,” Shinjiro replies as he turns away to finish putting away the last bag of groceries.

* * *

Shinjiro decides to bring some leftovers to the shrine to feed Koromaru. Unfortunately, he doesn't manage to sneak out without catching Akihiko's attention, so they're walking in a companionable silence to the shrine. The silence doesn't last long when they reach the shrine, since Koromaru comes running out to wait at Shinjiro's feet.

Akihiko laughs as Shinjiro leans down to pet the eager dog. “Looks like you come here often, Shinji,” he teases.

“Tch,” Shinjiro grunts as he unpacks the food he made for Koromaru. “That sounds like a pick up line, Aki.”

“What! No, it doesn't...” Akihiko says in a rush then ducks his head. “I mean, unless you want it to be?”

Shinjiro snorts as he strokes Koromaru's soft fur. “You are such a nerd,” he mutters. “You like that, Koro-ch- Koromaru?”

Akihiko doesn't let the slip up slide. “You call him Koro-chan? That's weirdly adorable,” he says he crouches down to try and pet Koromaru.

Koromaru whines as he finishes off his last bite of food, looking between the two boys. “Shut up, Aki,” Shinjiro mutters with a red face, but he backs off to let Akihiko pet the dog.

“Hey, I won't tell anyone,” Akihiko promises as he ruffles Koromaru's fur. “Me and Koro-chan can keep a secret, right, boy?”

With a happy bark of agreement, Koromaru butts his head into Shinjiro's hand. “I guess I'll just have to trust you two can keep a secret,” he replies then grins. “Or I can just keep bribing you both to keep your mouths shut."

Koromaru barks twice in reply as Akihiko snorts. “Is that what we call it now, bribery?” he jokes.

Shinjiro smirks. “I mean, I could have just said I know other ways to keep your mouth busy, but I don't want upset Koro-chan.”

“Shinji!” Akihiko exclaims with a laugh as Koromaru whines, hiding under his paws. “Aw, no, I think Koromaru understood that one...”

“I'm sorry, boy,” Shinjiro says sweetly, petting his back fur softly. “I'll bring you treats along with the regular meal next time, all right?”

Koromaru perks up at those words with a pleased bark as Akihiko laughs. “I think he has you wrapped around his paw, Shinji.”

Shinjiro shrugs as he gets in a few more fur ruffles before standing up. “Yeah, I'm fine with that. We have to head back, Koro-chan.”

Akihiko stands up as well, stretching as he does. “Yeah, gotta see if Arisato wants us to go to Tartarus tonight.”

“Nah, Mitsuru ain't gonna be back until late. Yamagishi won't go without her say so,” Shinjiro disagrees as Koromaru pads back to the shrine. 

“True,” Akihiko agrees. “You know, you didn't have to go out so late just to avoid getting caught being cute...”

“Tch, I ain't cute.”

Akihiko laughs as he bumps his shoulder against Shinjiro's. “Bullshit. You're real cute with Koromaru,” he points out as Shinjiro scowls. “Hey, it's okay. I won't tell anyone you like fluffy dogs.”

Shinjiro rolls his eyes. “Fine, but only around you,” he admits, his cheeks flushed pink as he takes Akihiko's hand.

It has the intended effect, and Akihiko falls silent with his hand gripping tightly in return, his face matching Shinjiro's flushed one. They're halfway back to the dorm when the Dark Hour hits, sending a shuddering cough through Shinjiro's body. Akihiko pauses in concern, but Shinjiro waves him off.

“I'm fine, Aki,” he promises as the coughs subside. “They're not so bad, but we probably shouldn't stick around out here too long.”

Akihiko nods, but before they can continue, they hear Fuuka's voice ringing in their heads. _“Akihiko-senpai! Shinjiro-senpai! I found a shadow outside of Tartarus! It's not a big one, but Mitsuru-senpai said you two were already out. Are you anywhere near the Naganaki Shrine?”_

Shinjiro and Akihiko share a wide eyed look before running back where they came from. “Yamagishi, we're heading there now! We're not far. Wake the others!” Akihiko tells her.

 _“O-of course! Good luck, senpai!”_ Fuuka says before her voice slips away.

They make it back to the shrine in record breaking time. There's a huge crash and smoke, and when it start to clear, Akihiko stands in shock to see the shadow dissipating in a cloud of smoke and flicking flames. Shinjiro notices Koromaru nearby with a huge three-headed dog persona fading out behind him.

“Koro-chan!” he shouts as he runs over to the dog who collapses to the ground. “Hey, Aki, you know dia spells, yeah?”

Akihiko blinks for a moment before nodding. “I can try to heal him up a bit, but I think he'll need a vet...” he says as he kneels down, summons Polydeuces, and casts a healing spell over Koromaru.

The dog whimpers as Shinjiro pets him softly. “You'll be fine. You're such a good boy, taking on that big shadow by yourself,” he murmurs, and Koromaru seems soothed by the words before he passes out.

“He was trying to protect his home, even though his owner's gone,” Akihiko says in awe. “He's one loyal dog.”

Shinjiro nods in agreement as he takes off his coat and uses it to wrap around Koromaru. The other come rushing up the stairs, and after Akihiko explains the situation, they had back to the dorm to take care of the Koromaru until the Dark Hour ends. Then they can finally call an emergency vet for the brave dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's that google forms survey I mentioned.](https://forms.gle/qQh7EZfKZWzckxMs7) Just a few questions, since I watched bits of the Weird Masquerade and the P3 Movies, so it's giving me some ideas that veer a bit off from game canon, in respects to how Ken-Shinjiro plays out until 10/4...
> 
> Also, this is officially the longest fic I've ever written! Funnily enough, the longest to date before this one was one of my first ones? Kinda coming full circle is fun. 
> 
> [My Persona tumblr.](https://memoriesofyourdread.tumblr.com/) Drop me an ask about anything Persona. <3


	17. Chapter XVI: We're Going Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pharos pays Minato a visit, so Minato pays Elizabeth one. Yukari and Mitsuru go shopping. Shinjiro bakes while Akihiko tries to help. Sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though this isn't a Shinji centric chapter, I want to say: Happy Birthday, Shinji! <3 I wanted to write something more Shinji centric, but the last few chapters have neglected a few other characters, so I went in a different direction. (Maybe I can post something small before my boy's bday is over.)
> 
> It's a relatively short chapter, so I apologize for that as well as not being able to post something last week. There's more about that in the end notes. <3
> 
> AND! I noticed this lovely fic is almost at 100 kudos and just under 1500 hits. <3 Thank you so much. I'd love to hear more in the comments from you lovely guys, even if it's just a word or two. I promise I don't bite.

“You are really something,” Pharos says, hovering over Minato's bed.

Minato blinks, still half asleep as he sits up. “Am I?”

Pharos nods with a smile. “Yes, of course,” he replies, as if there's not doubt about the truth of his words. “You have changed many things about the future, but maybe also nothing at all? It's hard to tell. I thought you should know.”

“Thanks...I guess?”

“We're friends. Friends try to help each other, don't they?” Pharos asks with a tilt of his head.

Minato nods slowly. “Yeah, but sometimes, you just don't make any sense, Pharos.”

Disappearing then reappearing at the foot of Minato's bed, Pharos laughs. “That may be true, but I will try to make more sense next time,” he says, fading out again. “The full moon is tomorrow night. Don't forget.”

Flopping back on the bed, Minato sighs as he stares at the ceiling. “Changed many things but nothing at all?” he murmurs to himself. “What the hell does that mean?”

The question bothers him enough that Minato knows he won't be getting back to sleep tonight. He slips out of the bed, stretching as he pads towards his door to head downstairs. Quietly, Minato sneaks past his dormmates' doors then heads for the front door.

He knows he shouldn't be out so late at night, but it's after the dark hour. Minato figures with the full moon tomorrow, most people are either inside or... It's not like Apathy Syndrome victims can do anything to him now.

“That's a grim line of thought,” Minato mutters to himself as he finds himself in Paulownia Mall.

The storefronts are closed and shuddered for the night. He can hear the music from Club Escapade, and Minato wonders if he'll find the old monk there tonight. Shaking his head, Minato decides that might end in a strange drunken telling off for being out so late. 

That's when he makes his decision to walk down the empty alleyway, a blue light shining from where there should be only darkness. The door to the Velvet Room appears, and it effortlessly opens under his touch.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” Elizabeth greets, tilting her head. “It's quite late in your world, is it not?”

Minato blinks when he notices Elizabeth without her master. “Does Igor sleep?” he asks as he sits in his usual chair.

Elizabeth chuckles. “He's out on business,” she tells him then smiles mischievously. “I am watching over the Velvet Room. I am the Master, for the moment.”

“Don't let that go to your head,” he says with a snort as she cheerfully ignores his words and sits in her master's seat. “I can still fuse something without Igor here, right?”

“But of course,” Elizabeth replies as she spreads a deck of tarot onto the table with a bit less expertise than Igor would. “I can fuse anything your heart desires!”

Minato looks over the spread of tarot cards. “Maybe we'll keep it limited. Nothing past a triangle spread.”

Elizabeth huffs as she dramatically drops her elbows onto the table, resting her face in her palms. “That's quite unadventurous of you,” she complains.

“I think I'll have enough adventures tomorrow, with how big my team is getting and the full moon tomorrow,” Minato points out, giving Elizabeth pause.

“It is quite a team of persona users,” she says thoughtfully. “There's a new addition of a child and maybe a dog?”

Minato winces. “I hope we don't need to involve Ken-kun...”

Elizabeth hums as she sits up and starts straightening up the cards spread on the table. “Perhaps it won't be your choice,” she warns, sounding a bit more serious than he's used to hearing from her. “Better to be prepared for everything! That's...the phrase, isn't it?”

“Maybe?” Minato offers, unsure what phrase she was aiming for that time. “But I guess you're right. Let's prepare some personas to offset my team's weaknesses. If Ken-kun does join us soon, we'll keep him safe.”

“Excellent, let's get started,” Elizabeth agrees as she bangs her compendium down on the table.

* * *

“Good morning, Mitsuru-senpai,” Yukari says as she catches Mitsuru on her way out. “Have you seen Minato-kun? Did he head out already?”

Mitsuru pauses in the doorway. “I haven't seen him, and it's nearly noon,” she says, brows furrowed. “Perhaps he's already out and about? I wanted to go with him to buy weapons. He has been using his own funds, and I told him that wasn't necessary.”

Yukari crosses her arms. “Does he?” she questions then a thought comes to her. “Then let's head to see Officer Kurosawa ourselves. Maybe we'll beat him there. What do you think?”

“Brilliant idea, Takeba,” Mitsuru praises her, holding the door for her. “Perhaps we can restock at the pharmacy as well. We'll want to be well kitted for tonight.”

“Great,” Yukari agrees, face flushed pink as she steps outside with Mitsuru close behind, and they head to Paulownia Mall together.

* * *

After they buy all the new weapons and armor they need upgrading, Yukari tries not to boggle at the price. “I don't think we need...” she begins, but Mitsuru waves her off.

“My father allowed the funds to be set aside of this, so don't worry, Takeba,” Mitsuru explains as she looks over the goods she's just purchased, to make sure everything was in tip-top condition.

“Well, that's good, I guess,” Yukari starts off then frowns. “...how are we getting all of this back to the dorm between the two of us? I mean, I can carry a lot, but I don't think I can manage all this...”

Mitsuru frowns as well then flips her phone open. “Hello, Kikuno? May I have someone down at the police station in Paulownia Mall? I require assistance delivering my purchases to the dorm,” she tells the maid over the phone. “Yes, that should work. I will let them know. Thank you.”

Snapping her phone shut, Mitsuru catches Yukari staring at her. “Takeba...?”

“I forget you're really not like us sometimes,” Yukari says quietly, making Mitsuru frowns in reply as Yukari waves her hands. “Oh no, not like that. I mean, the money thing. Just...having people that carry and bring your stuff home for you. That's like...not something I'd ever have.”

Biting her lip for a moment, Mitsuru heads for the door after telling Officer Kurosawa that some of her people would be picking up their order shortly. “Let's change that, shall we?”

“Say what?” Yukari ask as she follows Mitsuru. “Wait, senpai, what does that mean?”

Mitsuru turns around abruptly, looking very determined and bit embarrassed. “I thought since we bought what we needed for tonight... That perhaps some recreational shopping wouldn't hurt?” she offers then hides her face in her hand. “That was presumptuous of me...”

Yukari shakes her head quickly. “No!” she exclaims quickly. “I really don't mind! But you don't have to treat me or anything... I do have my own money, if you wanted to shop together...”

“If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to treat you today, Takeba,” Mitsuru says firmly, a flush high on her cheeks. “You mentioned not having that kind of experience, and I don't mind sharing the experience with you.”

Flustered, Yukari bites her lip and looks down. “If you insist, I guess it'd be rude to say no now after complaining about it before...” she trails off then looks up with a smile. “Okay, on one condition!”

“Tell me, and I shall strive to meet it.”

“That you let me dress you up in an outfit of my choice,” Yukari announces.

Mitsuru's stance falters for a moment as she stares incredulously at Yukari. “Is that all?” she asks, a bit flustered. “That's fine. I trust your taste in fashion.”

“Ohh, this is gonna be fun!” Yukari says excitedly, grabbing Mitsuru's hand. “Let's go. I know the perfect little boutique to start with!”

* * *

Minato yawns widely as he blearily makes his way downstairs. He definitely stayed out too late, and he's pretty sure he was supposed to meet Mitsuru to buy supplies for tonight. Now, she's nowhere to be found. Deciding that maybe a late lunch would be a good idea, Minato heads for the kitchen to find Ken staring at a glass of milk at the dining room table.

“Hey, Ken-kun,” he greets as he looks at the glass of milk skeptically. “Are you...going to drink that whole glass?”

Ken blinks then nods furiously. “Oh, hello, Minato-san,” he replies. “I plan to. Why?”

“I think you might give yourself a stomachache, is all...” Minato points out.

“I won't,” Ken denies, even though he seems doubtful after taking a sip of milk.

Minato scrunches his nose as Ken takes bigger sip of milk then grimaces. “If you're sure...” he trails off as he hears movement from the kitchen. “Is Shinjiro-senpai in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, he offered to make me a snack,” Ken replies, ducking his head. “I told him he didn't have to, but he insisted. ...and he does make really good food...”

“It's hard to say no to his food,” Minato agrees with a chuckle. “Well, good luck with your milk. I'm going to try and sweet talk my way into a snack myself.”

Ken laughs. “Good luck, Minato-san!”

* * *

“Get that protein shit out of my kitchen, Aki!” Shinjiro shouts as Minato enters the kitchen.

Akihiko side steps away from his boyfriend, holding a rather large jar of protein powder. “Just thought it'd be a good addition.”

Minato tries not to laugh as Shinjiro scowls. “I swear to god-” he begins to say before he notices Minato in the doorway. “Arisato! Kick this guy out of my kitchen.”

He pretends to think for a moment. “If I can get a late lunch out of it,” Minato says.

“Done,” Shinjiro agrees as he puts a baking sheet full of cookies into the oven.

“Arisato, hey, what are you doing-!” Akihiko exclaims as Minato uses his senpai's surprise to shove him out of the kitchen.

They both tumble out of the kitchen, surprising Ken as they tumble to the floor. Shinjiro's laughter echoes through the room, as Minato joins in the laughter. Ken looks between older boys, and Akihiko starts to wrestle Minato to escape back to the kitchen.

“Minato-san? Sanada-san?” Ken questions from the table in confusion. “What's going on?”

“Don't mind them, Amada!” Shinjiro shouts from the kitchen. “I told Arisato to keep Aki out of the kitchen.”

Akihiko scowls as he quickly pins Minato. “Shinji, it was just a little bit of protein powder in the batter! Amada's a growing kid.”

Ken cringes. “I'm not a kid,” he mutters then blinks. “Sanada-san, I don't think protein powder belongs in cookies...”

“Kid's smarter than you, Aki,” Shinji adds as he pokes his head into the dining room. “Stay out if you're going to make unneeded additions to my cooking.”

With a sigh, Akihiko stands up, letting Minato up in the process. “Fine,” he agrees begrudgingly. “I'll keep my protein powder upstairs.”

Shinjiro smirks. “Glad you understand,” he states before turning to Minato. “Gyudon okay with you?”

Minato nods. “I think that was worth having to tackle and fail to wrestle the Gekkoukan boxing champion,” he jokes, and Akihiko sighs as he heads upstairs.

“Make sure to come back down,” Shinjiro says before Akihiko is out of earshot. “I'll have a bowl waiting for you too.”

Akihiko grins and takes the stairs two at a time in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of a chapter last week. I just had a really bad writer's block on how to get the plot to progress with Strega as well as Ken, since I changed two rather important moments. I'm still stuck, to be honest, but instead of getting too frustrated, I wrote something else.
> 
> We'll hit the August Full Moon next chapter. If anyone has suggestions for how Strega should show up, since they don't know about S.E.E.S. trying to take down the Dark Hour yet... Maybe through Junpei with Chidori? Let me know your thoughts, guys.
> 
> (Also, I didn't forget about the poll for which side fics to write first. Last Sunday gave me a terrible writing block all week, and it was pretty shitty. I'll try to see what I can manage this week.)
> 
> Celebrate Shinji's bday with me on my [Persona tumblr](https://memoriesofyourdread.tumblr.com/). Expect all Shinji posts today. <3


	18. Chapter XVII: The Strega Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the August Full Moon, and Chidori does some recon with Medea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned to write more today, but I got waylaid after writing this part. It's a short chapter compared to most of my others, but I decided that it'd be a good interlude into the next. Tell me what you guys think, since I've never written Chidori or the rest of Strega before. <3

She senses the other Persona users again. It's been frustrating, and Chidori knows that without concrete information, Takaya will blow her off. Perhaps Jin would be receptive? There are more of them now, she's sure of it. One of them seems familiar enough, though she can't pinpoint what that means.

In frustration, Chidori dismisses Medea. “North...” she murmurs as she searches her things for her axes. 

It's unfortunate the other two members only pay her mind when she's trying to leave. “Chidori, why are you kitted out tonight?” Jin asks lazily, typing away on his laptop.

Chidori bites back a scowl. “I sensed...something. I want to check it out,” she tells him, knowing that Takaya is listening now, and that lying will get her nowhere.

“That's inadvisable,” Takaya says, shooting down her plans. “We have a tip, and this person paid quite a bit of money to get rid of his cheating wife.”

“I doubt you need me for that,” Chidori replies with a tilt of her head. “Perhaps I can find out more about why the Tower of Demise seems to shine brighter during the full moons... You wanted answers, didn't you?”

Takaya scowls as Jin hides a chuckle, poorly. “There's truth in that statement,” he says begrudgingly then turns his stare to Jin. “Have you found the target? This is growing troublesome.”

Jin snorts as he closes his laptop. “Your trigger finger is getting itchy, I get it,” he says lazily before glancing back at Chidori. “Let us know what you find?”

Chidori nods, unconsciously rubbing the spot where soulmate mark looks like a mottled bruise. It's the mark she shares with Jin, but they never talk about it. She tries not to think about, especially since she knows Jin's other mark clearly matches the one climbing Takaya's arm.

That's something they _definitely_ don't talk about. It's one of the reasons Jin keeps his arms covered. Takaya, on the other hand, keeps his hidden with tattoos down both his arms. Chidori wonders if he can even remember which is his soulmark and what he got inked.

She shakes her as she makes her way through the Dark Hour. Turning her thoughts away from her companions, Chidori summons Medea again. She feels a choking feeling as she scans Iwatodai, but she perseveres. Medea screeches before fading away again.

“I'm closer, I'm sure of it,” Chidori murmurs to herself, clenching her axes as she finds a strange opening in the ground.

It seems to lead to an underground bunker of some sort. Medea sings in her head, and Chidori revels in the momentary peace as she hears sounds clanging swords and screeching metal. She steps inside and watches as those other persona users fight a tank shaped shadow.

The shadow comes apart, forming two distinctive shadows, and the S.E.E.S. team split their focus. Chidori notices that Shinjiro has joined them, sticking close to the one who fights with his fists and the blue haired boy. It's strange that he's joined them, after all the times they've pestered him and gotten no information about these curious persona users. 

Chidori takes in everything she can, and though she doesn't understand what they're after, she has a feeling their goals aren't the same. Sometimes she wonders if her own goals even align with Jin and Takaya's. It's a useless thought, so instead Chidori commits their numbers, personas, and fighting styles to memory.

As they finish off the two shadows, Chidori's gaze falls back to Shinjiro. She knows he got suppressants from Jin, but she also hasn't seen him in the alleyway in months. The way he fight isn't the same as what she's seen when punks get on his nerves. Medea tells her that he's healing, surviving, somehow.

Though she does not fear death, Chidori wouldn't mind finding out how Shinjiro seems to be doing the impossible. It may be information Jin would be interested in as well. She's unsure how Takaya would react to it, though. His plans have slipped steadily down into a spiral of death. She doesn't need Medea to tell her plans to go out with a bang.

“Hell yeah, those shadows are no match for the great Iori Junpei!” a boy in a baseball cap, sporting a large sword shouts.

Chidori stares at him, unable to look away as a girl in a pink cardigan smacks him in the back of the head with her bow. “You only got the final blow because Minato-kun let you,” she points out in a huff.

Her words don't seem to dampen the boy's spirit. “Still finished it off, Yuka-tan!” he crows, and the girl sighs.

“Just the small one,” she adds as she swings her bow over her shoulder. “Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai got the big one!”

Glancing over to Shinjiro, Chidori notices a softness she's never seen in him before as he leans close to the boy that fought with his fists. She wants to hear more, but she can see them moving back towards the entrance. Ducking quickly into a nearby nook, she hides herself away before they can spot her.

They pass her without noticing her, and Chidori lets out a sigh of relief as they disappear up the path. She waits another twenty minutes before heading out of the bunker herself. It gave her time to think what to tell the rest of Strega.

“Find anything of use on your little adventure tonight?” Takaya asks as she returns long after the Dark Hour has ended.

Chidori shakes her head as she stows her axes. “Not as of yet,” she hedges. “I will give it more thought. I don't want to concern you with anything trivial, Takaya.”

Takaya almost grins at her words before shrugging. “Just don't waste my time,” he warns. “It's a precious commodity.”

She nods as Takaya leaves the room, but Chidori catches Jin staring at her. “Yes?”

Jin shakes his head. “Don't get in over your head because you don't want to face Takaya's wrath for being 'inconvenienced',” he tells her as he packs up his laptop. “Sleep well, Chidori.”

“You as well,” she murmurs in response as they go their separate ways for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My persona tumblr](http://memoriesofyourdread.tumblr.com).
> 
> I'm heading to NYC next Sunday to visit a friend, so I won't be posting a new chapter until the Sept. 1st. I'll try to get something together sooner, but work has been super stressful, so it's not likely until then.
> 
> Also, this chapter got this fic to 40k. Thanks for reading this far and sticking with me!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [At First Sight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19152799) by [shiny_glor_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_glor_chan/pseuds/shiny_glor_chan)




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